Chamber and committees

Is the situation with the apprenticeship levy not quite a guddle? We have a mixture of policies from the UK Government, which sets the levy, and the Scottish Government, which sets how the funds that come through the funding system are applied. Not every company that pays the levy requires an apprentice. The flexible workforce development fund is not really that flexible and it certainly is not big enough. It was designed to compensate levy payers in the apprenticeship scheme, because not every company needs an apprentice. The flexible workforce development fund has now been diluted by the inclusion of non-levy payers in the system. Is it a surprise that many companies are now doing less training than they were before the apprenticeship levy was brought in? Do you have any reflections on what I have said?

Go on.

My question is about the Morgan review, additional support for learning and needs. On a scale of one to 10, how close are we to meeting the vision of the Morgan review?

That is fine. A couple of weeks ago, we heard from the Educational Institute of Scotland, which is concerned about the consequences of the inadequacies in the system and the effects on teachers of what they have to cope with in the classroom. As we move towards mainstreaming, are we providing enough support so that teachers can cope? We know that demand has increased during the pandemic and that it has exacerbated existing issues and challenges. Are we giving enough support to the teachers on the front line who are having to cope with this?

I am sorry, Jennifer, but I must stop you there. My question is whether teachers are getting enough support now. You have described what needs to happen in structural terms, but are teachers getting the support now? Please answer that briefly, if possible, and then I would like Mike Corbett to respond, too.

What is your perspective, Mike?

It does not, convener. Four, perhaps.

I have a final question for you. On a scale of one to 10, where are we with the Morgan review?

My reading of the situation is that the position is quite stark. The numbers have been increasing in recent years. About a third of children have additional support needs, which is a major proportion of the school population. Waits for diagnosis on a range of needs are now longer. Waits for mental health support from the health service are incredibly long and are getting longer. The number of co-ordinated support plans has gone down in the past eight years. The funding is challenging. Referrals to social work have been difficult. Is the system genuinely coping?

A glib four.