Minutes: 12 March 2025

1. Subordinate legislation:

The Committee considered the following negative instrument—

Education (Scotland) Act 1980 (Modification) Regulations 2025

The Committee made no comment on the instrument.

2. Subordinate legislation:

The Committee took evidence on the Public Appointments and Public Bodies etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 (Treatment of Qualifications Scotland as Specified Authority) Order 2025 [draft] from—

Jenny Gilruth, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and Clare Hicks, Director, Education Reform, Scottish Government;

Nico McKenzie-Juetten, Lawyer, Scottish Government Legal Directorate.

3. Subordinate legislation:

Jenny Gilruth Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills moved—

S6M-16297—That the Education, Children and Young People Committee recommends that the Public Appointments and Public Bodies etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 (Treatment of Qualifications Scotland as Specified Authority) Order 2025 [draft] be approved.

The motion was agreed to (by division: For 7, Against 0, Abstentions 3).

4. Scottish Attainment Challenge Inquiry: Post-Inquiry Scrutiny:

The Committee took evidence from—

Jenny Gilruth, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, David Leng, Head of Scottish Attainment Challenge and Alison Taylor, Deputy Director for Improvement, Attainment and Wellbeing, Scottish Government;

David Gregory, Strategic Director - Scottish Attainment Challenge, Education Scotland.

5. Evidence Session (In Private):

The Committee considered the evidence it heard earlier under agenda item 4.

6. Work programme (In Private):

The Committee considered its work programme.

The Committee agreed to invite representatives from the University of Dundee, Scottish Funding Council and Universities Scotland to give evidence at a future meeting.