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The Scottish Government brought forward the Colleges of Further Education and Regional Strategic Bodies (Membership of Boards) (Scotland) Order 2023, which places a requirement for assigned college boards, regional college boards and both the Lanarkshire Board and the Glasgow Colleges’ Regional Board to have two Trade Union nominees, one from the lecturing staff unions and one from the support staff unions.

The Order came into effect on 31 January 2024 and trade unions are currently working through their election processes to nominate individuals to boards.

The National Recognition and Procedures Agreement (NRPA) is an agreement between Further Education Colleges and trade unions.

While issues around NRPAs are for colleges and trade unions to negotiate and resolve, the Scottish Government, through its Fair Work Agenda, is clear that workers must have effective voice and therefore, expects that they have access to trade union representation.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25100 on 27 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

The Good Governance Steering Group has had oversight of the implementation of the addition of trade union nominees to college boards.

The Good Governance Steering Group is monitoring the progress of trade union nominations and the Scottish Government expects the Group to continue to keep abreast of good governance in the college sector and to inform the Scottish Government of governance issues.

Throughout February 2024 the Scottish Government is undertaking consultation events with members of the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group on the draft Student Mental Health Action Plan. Following this, and the completion of attendant Impact Assessments, the Scottish Government will publish the Student Mental Health Action Plan .

The draft Plan sets out our expectations for institutions on supporting student mental health and wellbeing and how the Scottish Government will work with them and the wider public sector to give effect to those. It recognises the critical importance of early intervention and prevention and ensuring effective access to a diverse range of community-based clinical and non-clinical services. It outlines the significant levels of Scottish Government investment in mental health and wellbeing support which students can access. It makes clear the importance of providing timely clinical acute care for those who require it and how we will work with NHS Boards and institutions in this area.

The Scottish Government's International Education Strategy was published on 7 February 2024.

Scotland's International Education Strategy - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The total cost for commissioning the Lessons Learned report was £25,000.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25063 on 27 February 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

The Scottish Government does not allocate fully registered teachers to local authorities. Statutory responsibility for the recruitment and employment of teachers and all other support staff in local authority schools sits with individual councils.

Probationer teachers progressing through the Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS) are placed with local authorities through an allocation process. This is a placement and not employment. Where the number of probationers exceeds the number of places offered initially by local authorities these are subsequently allocated on a supernumerary basis. As previously indicated in answer to S6W-23885 this number was initially 626. To date there are over 500 deferrals and withdrawals from this year’s initial cohort so the 600 “supernumerary” figure as of May 2023 does not mean there are 600 surplus teachers.

An update on the provision of digital devices was given in the 2024-25 Scottish Government Budget.

In order to maximise the impact of capital funding available, we will seek to provide support at a household level, targeting investment specifically at disadvantaged families with children. This approach will improve equity of access to devices and connectivity for those who need it most, helping families realise the broad range of benefits associated with digital inclusion. It will also enable access not only to digital tools and resources for learning, but to digital society and online public services. Through doing so, it will expand the impact of this investment beyond learners to their wider families.