Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-29165

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how its alternative grading arrangements will ensure fairness for every pupil.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is responsible for awarding qualifications. The SQA has set out that their approach is based on three core principles of fairness to all learners; safe and secure certification of their qualifications; and maintaining the integrity and credibility of the system, ensuring standards are maintained over time.

The SQA is committed to ensuring it meets its obligations to the Equality Act 2010 and the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012. This includes conducting an Equality Impact Assessment of SQA’s approach to certification.

Question reference: S5W-29183

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many teachers are continuing to work in schools or nurseries during the lockdown, also broken down by local authority.

On average, over the past week (Mon 18 – Fri 22 May), 4,948 teachers, ELC practitioners, ELC lead practitioners, ELC managers and support staff attended local authority educational hubs. Not all local authorities provided a breakdown of teaching and non-teaching staff. Based on those who did we estimate that on average 1,741 teachers attended local authority educational hubs.

Local Authority	Average number of teaching staff, ELC Practitioner, ELC lead practitioners, ELC managers and support staff (headcount) physically working in local authority schools/hubs or ELC settings over the past week (Mon 18 - Fri 22 May)	Average number of teaching staff physically working in local authority schools/hubs or LA ELC settings over the past week (Mon 18 – Fri 22 May) - where the breakdown was provided by the local authority
Aberdeen City	229	63
Aberdeenshire	292	70
Angus	114	62
Argyll & Bute	95	38
Clackmannanshire	59	29
Dumfries & Galloway	215	82
Dundee City	349	166
East Ayrshire	106	38
East Dunbartonshire	121	56
East Lothian	132	54
East Renfrewshire	125	70
Edinburgh City	171	98
Falkirk	195	92
Fife	332	146
Glasgow City	312	N/A
Highland	162	37
Inverclyde	115	48
Midlothian	139	65
Moray	68	35
Na h-Eileanan Siar	98	26
North Ayrshire	66	34
North Lanarkshire	276	103
Orkney Islands	36	15
Perth & Kinross	145	11
Renfrewshire	175	53
Scottish Borders	132	51
Shetland Islands	14	N/A
South Ayrshire	82	27
South Lanarkshire	142	N/A
Stirling	143	60
West Dunbartonshire	146	31
West Lothian	164	81
Scotland Estimate	4948	1741

Question reference: S5W-29160

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that qualifications obtained during the current academic year hold the same weight and status as those obtained in previous years, in light of changes in grading structures due to the cancellation of exams.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority has set out that the approach being taken is based on three core principles of fairness to all learners; safe and secure certification of their qualifications; and maintaining the integrity and credibility of the system, ensuring standards are maintained over time.

We are clear that the awarding process should deliver fairness for all learners and this includes having moderation processes in place to ensure the integrity of awards in terms of quality and consistency across schools and previous years.

Question reference: S5W-29161

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to issue further guidance to teachers on issuing grade bands.

Question reference: S5W-29167

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish details of the appeals process in respect of pupil grades in the current academic year.

Question reference: S5W-29162

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons it is expanding the predicted grade bands for teachers.

Question reference: S5W-29163

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons it is asking teachers to rank their pupils in order of attainment.

Question reference: S5W-29164

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has done of the impact that alternative grading arrangements in schools will have on attainment gap.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has set out that their approach is based on three core principles of fairness to all learners; safe and secure certification of their qualifications; and maintaining the integrity and credibility of the system, ensuring standards are maintained over time.

Moderation is a principal feature of our qualifications system and the SQA will look at the range of evidence available, including schools’ and colleges’ previous history of estimating and attainment in each subject as part of the process. The SQA has provided guidance to teachers and lecturers with regards to avoiding potential bias in making grade estimates.

Closing the poverty-related attainment gap is the defining mission of this government - and that commitment will remain when we gradually exit lockdown. That is why we have committed to extend funding for the Scottish Attainment Challenge at current levels beyond the lifetime of this parliament and into 2021-22.

Local Authorities and teachers have shown extraordinary dedication and professionalism to support young people and ensure learning is disrupted as little as possible, using flexibility to redirect Pupil Equity Funding and wider Attainment Scotland Funding resources and support to our most disadvantaged families.

Question reference: S5W-29166

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what weighting will be given to a learning centre’s predictions for the grading of pupils.

Question reference: S5W-29168

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether schools that are currently open for children of key workers will remain open during the scheduled summer break.

As I said in my Statement to Parliament on 26 May and as set out in the Strategic Framework for the reopening of schools, early learning and childcare provision published on 21 May, critical childcare provision for key worker and vulnerable children will continue throughout June and the summer break. Local authorities will decide how best to provide this ongoing critical childcare in order to meet the needs of their communities.