Chamber and committees

Can you give us some information about automatic listing? What does it entail? What percentage of people on the barred list have been automatically listed? How many of those have ever been taken off the list?

I was not going to come in at this stage, but, further to Michael Marra’s questions, I think that we should clarify that there is X amount of money to go round and that poverty is to be found not just in cities such as Glasgow or Dundee but in council areas and constituencies right across the country. It is only right that we target those who are in need on the basis not of geography but of that need.

Is it not also true that COSLA, through the Labour leader of Inverclyde Council, Stephen McCabe, who is COSLA’s children and young people spokesperson, has welcomed the new funding allocation? It just seems fairer. Michael Marra rightly defends his constituents, but he can do that in the chamber. Here, we are meant to be looking at what is best for children across the country, not just those in the constituencies or cities that we represent.

What support is needed for schools and teachers to be able to identify ways to support the wellbeing of children with additional support needs and deal with any lost learning for them?

Is it the case that the numbers of specialist teachers dropped as mainstreaming took a central place in education? I accept that there may be an issue just now, but that was the reason why things happened in the way that they did.

No—I am arguing that the numbers of specialist teachers dropped at the same time that mainstreaming was becoming the way forward in education.

I suspect this session might be a wee bit shorter than the last one, then.

I have a couple of questions about the issue of how much of the responsibility for recovery from the pandemic in schools should be devolved to the school and local authority level. If they have a substantial amount of responsibility, how will they be held accountable for progress?

That is very helpful. I have been advocating things like that for the past 15 years, so thank you for that.

I will leave it there, convener.

I convened the Education and Skills Committee for three years, and I have never been at an education committee meeting with the EIS at which it has not asked for more money, but that cannot be the only solution for everything. We are in the middle of a pandemic and we have had very difficult times. I accept that there were systemic problems in provision beforehand—I am not trying to hide from that—but we must look at the reality and see what will work best, instead of always asking for more money.

That leads to a number of other questions, but I will see whether any of the other witnesses wishes to come in at this stage.

I am sorry, but you cut out there. I do not know whether other members could hear you.