The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 768 contributions
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 17 January 2024
Willie Rennie
I have had a promise that more will be coming in addition, in order to close the gap between the private, voluntary and independent sector and council sector pay rates, which results—as you know—in the departure of experienced staff from private nurseries. I was promised that we would have a solution, but I have not seen anything. What is happening?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 17 January 2024
Willie Rennie
Go on—just between us.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 17 January 2024
Willie Rennie
Will we have that in time for the debate that you are proposing?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 17 January 2024
Willie Rennie
He has not. He promised to do it completely. I heard him. He promised that he would close the gap between council and private nurseries. I have heard nothing today to indicate that you have solved the problem that he said he had identified and would commit to solving.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 17 January 2024
Willie Rennie
That does not deal with the problem.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 17 January 2024
Willie Rennie
You do not agree with the First Minister, in that case.
10:15Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 17 January 2024
Willie Rennie
Nurseries will hear what you are saying and they will not be impressed, because they have been waiting a long time for this, but let us move on.
I have a final question. How will you ensure that there is adequate funding to meet the commitments that you have made to a national Gaelic plan?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 17 January 2024
Willie Rennie
I will not be too political with you, but could you realistically spend £400 million in one year to meet the Promise?
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 17 January 2024
Willie Rennie
That was savage.
Education, Children and Young People Committee
Meeting date: 17 January 2024
Willie Rennie
I accept that. Let us move on. I am not sure that I have had a clear answer.
There is an expectation in the education world that we will have substantial reform, although opinion is divided. I will summarise what you have said: basically, a lot is going on—there are big challenges with behaviour, absence and the pandemic—and we need to deal with those and invest in teachers rather than in structural reform. I get that argument. Will that alone deal with the problems of the poverty-related attainment gap—which is still big—and performance overall, internationally? Will it be enough?