Seòmar agus comataidhean

The cabinet secretary and her officials have already covered a great deal of the issues to do with dealings with local authorities after the budget. However, what specific discussions have you had with local authority representatives on how the budget settlement will support the delivery and improvement of education and children’s services? The question is not about the difficulties that you have had; it is about how the budget will make improvements in children’s learning.

Well, it is.

Thank you very much indeed for that.

That would certainly help us. It is good to hear about good blending together and working together. I take it that university and college principal representation on the ministerial group on education and skills reform has also been beneficial.

It has been an interesting discussion. A couple of things that I was thinking of asking have pretty much been covered already, but it does not do any harm to go over things a wee bit again.

Minister, on 5 December last year, you said that a tripartite group between the Government, the Scottish Funding Council and college principals had been established to improve engagement among them. How has the impact of that benefited those in education?

That makes a lot of sense. College and university principals would want to be involved in that. Is further and higher education union representation being considered?

Yes.

That is great. Thank you.

It has been interesting to hear about the different angles and directions that things are taking and will take, but forget about all that. This is the Parliament and we are politicians—[Laughter.]—and we have to think about making policy on AI.

Curriculum reform has been mentioned, which gives us an opportunity to stick our oar in the water while we still have the right to do so, before AI overtakes us. How good is current guidance for educators and researchers on how to use AI ethically and effectively? You have covered very broadly how AI exists already in our society, in particular from the education perspective. Is there enough guidance from the Government on how educators and researchers will use AI? Should the Government do that, or should it develop outside Government?

There is nothing at all. Okay. Helena Good is nodding.