Chamber and committees

—without having examinations at that point, so exams only at highers.

Thank you. Professor Stobart, do you want to come in?

Thank you, Professor Stobart.

Dr Brown wants to come in, and then I have one further question.

Thank you for your candour, particularly in your recent answers. There is no greater need than the need to do something about the inequality that Dr Shapira and others made points on. I will move on to that now. As I said to the cabinet secretary yesterday, one reason why I think that reform is so important is that the attainment gap so stubbornly remains.

I have another question before I go into detail on that, although this is related. Is there a risk that, without examination at SCQF level 5, there is more pressure on pupils at highers? Given what you said, Dr Shapira, how will that affect our poorest students?

No problem. I probably waffled a little bit as well. The specific question is this: is there a risk that, without examination at SCQF level 5, there is more pressure on pupils at highers? What would the impact of that be on poorer students?

Dr Shapira, do you want to come back in?

Thank you. The interconnectedness of each part of the system and that lifelong linear learning that you described is crucial. Thank you for those answers.

I go back to the point about socioeconomic disadvantage. Dr Shapira, in your paper you note that the curriculum is narrowing and that that is socially stratified and has disproportionately affected students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Why is that? What would you change? How might that be affecting the attainment gap?

When you say the “type of curriculum” that they are being exposed to, do you mean the subjects that they are being presented with and their assessment as opposed to looking at who is attaining what at the other side of it?

Social Work Scotland and Children’s Hearings Scotland last week suggested that a 12 to 18-month timescale between the bill receiving royal assent and commencement could help with workforce planning issues, and other stakeholders support that view. What consideration are you giving to that call?