Scottish Labour Party Debate: Improving Attainment, Tackling Inequality and Strengthening National Standards

Katherine Sangster S7M-01963 That the Parliament recognises that the international performance of Scottish education has declined; further recognises the need to improve the experience and attainment for all young people in Scotland; believes that achievement in education is a key factor in breaking the cycle of poverty; agrees that Parliament must do more to break the link between family income and educational achievement; believes that, in order to address issues within the education system, they must be better understood, and calls for the reintroduction of the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy (SSLN) and standardised reporting across all local authorities to ensure consistent reporting on absences, behaviour and additional support needs and enable the education system to get it right for every child. Further details available for S7M-01963 Màiri McAllan S7M-01963.3 As an amendment to motion S7M-01963 in the name of Katherine Sangster (Improving Attainment, Tackling Inequality and Strengthening National Standards), leave out from first “recognises” to end and insert: “celebrates the achievements of Scotland's young people, as reflected in the 2026 National Qualifications results with academic passes up at every level and a 121% increase in vocational awards since 2019; notes that there is a joint record number of young people in positive follow-up destinations such as college, work and apprenticeships, and more young Scots gaining a place at university,- including a record number from deprived backgrounds; recognises the contribution of Scotland's dedicated and hardworking teaching and school staff; notes the need to improve the experience and attainment for all young people in Scotland and believes that achievement in education is a key factor in breaking the cycle of poverty, and affirms that, in the pursuit of excellence and equity, the Scottish Government should drive meaningful reform across the education system, including by working with parties across the Chamber to identify priorities for school assessments such as the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy and Scottish National Standardised Assessments, and embrace the opportunity of public sector reform to enhance performance, reduce unwarranted variation and empower school leaders across Scotland.” Further details available for S7M-01963.3 Laura Moodie S7M-01963.1 As an amendment to motion S7M-01963 in the name of Katherine Sangster (Improving Attainment, Tackling Inequality and Strengthening National Standards), insert at end "; recognises that, where data collection on pupil performance across local authorities is standardised, it should be done in a way that supports both the progress and attainment of pupils and tackles the bureaucracy placed on teachers; welcomes guidance on school uniforms that includes key recommendations to limit costs, and calls for this guidance to be placed on a statutory footing as soon as possible." Further details available for S7M-01963.1 Meghan Gallacher S7M-01963.2 As an amendment to motion S7M-01963 in the name of Katherine Sangster (Improving Attainment, Tackling Inequality and Strengthening National Standards), insert at end “; expresses serious concern that the Scottish Government has failed to reverse declining school standards, close the attainment gap or adequately support the rising number of pupils with additional support needs (ASN); notes that around one in four primary pupils is not achieving expected literacy levels and one in five is not achieving expected numeracy levels, and that Scotland recorded its poorest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results to date with pupils falling behind their counterparts in England in reading, mathematics and science; condemns the Scottish Government’s focus on headline-grabbing policies, including the proposed £2.7 million Welcome to School Bag, and its failure to deliver promised funded bikes and laptops; believes that the Scottish Government has failed to collect and publish reliable, comparable information on school performance and that positive destination statistics are wholly inadequate as a measure of educational success; calls for consistent annual reporting, publicly available and comparable over time and across all local authorities, on attainment, the attainment gap, attendance, persistent absence, exclusions, classroom violence, disruptive behaviour and ASN; questions the effectiveness of Education Scotland in driving improvement, and calls on the Scottish Government to deliver a credible and comprehensive plan to raise attainment and restore confidence in Scotland’s schools, to prioritise a knowledge-based, evidence-led curriculum with literacy, numeracy and subject knowledge at its core, and to establish clear national standards, measurable targets and robust accountability for educational outcomes.” Further details available for S7M-01963.2 Duncan Dunlop S7M-01963.4 As an amendment to motion S7M-01963 in the name of Katherine Sangster (Improving Attainment, Tackling Inequality and Strengthening National Standards), remove from "and enable" to end and insert "; believes that pupil support assistants provide essential support to children with additional support needs and teachers; calls for education funding currently directed towards initiatives such as the Welcome to School Bag and digital screens in primary school classrooms to instead be invested in the recruitment of, and better pay for, pupil support assistants; agrees that continuity in relationships specifically between pupil support assistants and pupils must be prioritised, and calls for headteachers and the community to have more devolved powers to choose the interventions that best meet their school’s needs and enable the education system to get it right for every child.” Further details available for S7M-01963.4