- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 3 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether medical reasons, the presence of siblings in a school and the needs of single parents are regarded in legislation or in practice, during the consideration of placing requests, as being of greater, lesser or equal importance than the needs of parents whose children will be five when starting school.
Answer
As a result of an anomaly in the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act 2000, only parents whose children will be five or over when they start school are eligible to make a legal placing request. We have made a commitment to amend the legislation at the first available opportunity to ensure that parents of children who are four years and six months and over when they start school are eligible to make a placing request. This anomaly does not affect the entitlement of children who are under five when they start school to a school place. The legislation requires authorities to set guidelines for placing children in their schools generally and to set criteria for accepting legal placing requests where there are more applications for places than places available. However, the legislation does not specify what those criteria might be or their order of priority. It is for authorities to decide what priority they give to different groups of children and therefore practice on taking such decisions will vary from authority to authority. Clearly such decisions have to be made within the existing legal framework, and the answer to question S1W-15097 gave information regarding guidance issued by the Scottish Executive on placing requests in January 2001.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 3 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether priority is given to placing requests from parents whose children will be five when starting school.
Answer
As a result of an anomaly in the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act 2000, only parents whose children will be five or over when they start school are eligible to make a legal placing request. We have made a commitment to amend the legislation at the first available opportunity to ensure that parents of children who are four years and six months and over when they start school are eligible to make a placing request. This anomaly does not affect the entitlement of children who are under five when they start school to a school place. In the meantime, authorities have been asked to operate a system to ensure that wherever possible given the legislative restraints, parents of children who will be under five when they start school are given the opportunity to say which school they wish their child to attend. Authorities have been asked to grant those requests wherever possible and allow parents to appeal any decision not to grant them through internal appeals processes.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 3 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any instructions or guidance given to local authorities regarding decision making on placing requests.
Answer
We do not give specific guidance to authorities on decision making on placing requests. Circular 8/96 outlined the changes in the placing request provisions following the Education (Scotland) Act 1996 and a copy of that has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre. Explanatory notes were published by HMSO to accompany the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act 2000 (ISBN 010591012 0). Circular 1/2000 (referred to in the answer to S1W-15097) is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre. All circulars are also available from the Scottish Executive on request.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 3 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any instructions or guidelines it gives to voluntary or co-opted members of attendance and placing committees established by local authorities.
Answer
The Executive does not publish any guidance in this area. The establishment and operation of such committees are matters for individual education authorities.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 2 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when it was informed that the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) board wished to include in the terms and conditions packages for senior SQA staff performance bonus payments and what consultation it undertook during its consideration of this matter.
Answer
Under the terms of the Scottish Qualification Authority's (SQA) Management Statement and Financial Memorandum, the Scottish Qualifications Authority is responsible for the development of its management and staffing structures and for human resource management. I have asked the Chair to write to Mr Russell.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 2 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had over the past twelve months with trade unions which have members working in the Scottish Qualifications Authority.
Answer
There have been no meetings discussing SQA issues between the Scottish Executive and trade unions representing Scottish Qualifications Authority staff over the past twelve months. Employment related issues are a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. I have asked the Chair to write to Mr Russell.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 2 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria for the payment of performance bonuses to senior staff at the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) were proposed by the SQA board and whether it approved any such criteria and payments.
Answer
Under the terms of the Scottish Qualification Authority's (SQA) Management Statement and Financial Memorandum, the Scottish Qualifications Authority is responsible for the development of its management and staffing structures and for human resource management. I have asked the Chair to write to Mr Russell.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 2 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what dicussions it held with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) board on the proposal to include performance bonus payments in the terms and conditions packages for senior SQA staff.
Answer
Under the terms of the Scottish Qualifications Authority's (SQA) Management Statement and Financial Memorandum, the Scottish Qualifications Authority is responsible for the development of its management and staffing structures and for human resource management. I have asked the Chair to write to Mr Russell.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 2 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive in which local authority areas pupils who have taken the relevant course at school rather than elsewhere are being presented by their school for Scottish Qualifications Authority examinations in (a) Latin and (b) classical studies.
Answer
Entries for the 2001 diet are still being submitted by centres and as a result the information requested is not yet available. I have asked the Chair of the Scottish Qualifications Authority to write to Mr Russell once the information is available.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 2 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many secondary schools offer (a) Latin and (b) classical studies as examinable subjects.
Answer
The Scottish Qualifications Authority's Annual Statistical Report for 1999 reported that 70 centres offered Latin and 45 centres offered classical studies.