 Mae eitem yw doegedd yn ddechun oillodon negus. G Robot i Author, mewn beth sy'n cynnu'n simultaneous dysgu. Mae coralik yn cyfan. Y gwnewch Thailandersion y mynd i gwaith. Mae ei meir i gellio'r credu rhywbeth tawdd mwynt wentden, a gwybig atiwn y poloedd unig lleolag. Ychydig yn gam Ofarach South Cymru, mae i'r tywm ar gyfer bodol, ac, o beth pleidleithiau, mae gennymau walty adeiladu AMG iawn i eto ddif Crawlam ond y gwneud i'r fawrp birdsyn ac yn ymgyrtigol hanfodol i ddweud disflartydd, ond yn ar ddweud i ddweud o iechyd, ac yn fynd i ddweud i'r fawrp wahanol yn ddweud, yn ddynion a'r fawrf sy'n gynnig o'r sterytyd i ddim arweithio ei ddymiadau i ddweud i ddweud i ddweud i ddweud o realyn, ac yn lefio ni'n deud i ddweud i ddweud i ddweud the gender-based violence and schools working group is developing a national framework to ensure consistent messaging on gender-based harassment for everyone working with young people. The Scottish Government will be aware that organisations such as Girlguiding Scotland and Xero Tolerance have called for the introduction of more specific gender equality and consent based sex and relationship studies as part of curriculum for excellence. What progress R dangos y Gwyrddon oedd oedd oeddaeth ddim yn wirgen iawn o bethau Cymru i'r mew ymwneud, ac chi'n gweithio i'r iawn o ddim yn wirgellfaedau sy'n cael ei ddim yniau, os mae'n ffordd i'r sefydl zietol yn fod oedd oedd oedd o'r mewns それograffener i ei bod yn ddif Weinhardd â'u gwirionedd y cyfan yn gallu o byddemol o'r cyfryfysiad a cofennodau hynny. Felly, ni ddim yn edrych gweithio i wych yn cael eu gweithio i'r llunidol atiwn o edrych ar gafio maes Modernum inside there to the measures that you just said in response to the report on misogyery, a human rights issue? I thank Furena Hyslop for raising the important issue, and I am grateful to the organisations that she mentioned for engaging with the Scottish Government. The Government wants all children and young people to develop mutually respectful, responsible and confident of relationships and that's why we're committed to ensuring all children and young people receive high quality relationships, sexual health and parental education so pupils learn about safe and healthy relationships. We'll shortly bring forward a consultation on revised MRS-HP teaching guidance, which is seeking to provide a focus on learning and teaching about gender equality and consent education. In the meantime and alongside, the initiative has already mentioned Education Scotland's national improvement hub contains resources to support professionals. We are, of course, also committed, as part of our shared policy programme with the Scottish Green Party, committed to exploring what further actions beyond that those already planned, including guidance for schools, are required. On 16 December 2021, I raised this matter with the First Minister and she confirmed that she would look into the situation with regard to local authorities, their responsibility for the WiFi that's operated in schools, over which much of the bullying and misogynistic attacks are taking place. Could the cabinet secretary follow up on that and find out what the current position is with regard to the Scottish Government and that responsibility? Very clearly we've said in the past that online bullying should not be treated any differently than face-to-face bullying, obviously, but it is the responsibility of local authorities to address the use of WiFi in their schools rather than through national government. Certainly, the Scottish Government is very keen to work with national government, local government and the organisations that I spoke about earlier, to see what more needs to be done to tackle all harassment in schools, but particularly in relation to this aspect around sexual harassment bullying that goes on within schools, and we're very determined to work with local authorities and partners on that, both online and offline. To ask the Scottish Government what the expected timetable is for the race equality and anti-racism in education programme to report. The Scottish Government is fully committed to addressing the issues that continue to perpetuate racism within schools. The race equality and anti-racism in education programme's ambition is to create real, tangible and lasting change rather than to issue one single report. Effecting systemic change takes time and working in partnership with stakeholders on the development and delivery of the programme, and as such is a long-term commitment. As part of that process, we're currently working with stakeholders to develop a shared vision and a set of actions with realistic timescales and milestones attached. Those will be key to providing a clear idea of when the ambitions can be met. We expect that subject to stakeholder agreement. The programme will be published in this summer and will be underpinned by an evaluation framework for the re-rape, which is also being developed in partnership with stakeholders. I would like to thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. The programme that the Scottish Government has set up is important and upholds its work so far. However, we cannot afford for that to be a missed opportunity to ensure that the curriculum itself is inclusive and representative. Can the cabinet secretary reassure me that curriculum reform will be given equal weight to its other considerations? I can absolutely confirm that curriculum reform is one of the four key parts, the key areas that re-rape is looking for and will act upon. There has been progress to date and, as I have said, we will publish more information about the programme in the summer if stakeholders would agree. We are already seeing some examples. For example, Education Scotland has begun rolling out the building racial literacy programme. We have seen the new national race diversity lead being appointed by the General Teaching Council for Scotland. That is a couple of examples. As well as Education Scotland is also developing the whole school resource for practitioners entitled promoting race equality and anti-racism education. However, I would absolutely confirm that the reforming of the curriculum is one of the key strands of the work that we will publish details on in the summer. Will the minister join me in recognising the work of local councils such as Glasgow City Council in passing a motion to support decolonisation of the curriculum and has produced a modern studies guide for its schools? I would like to ask for an update on how the Scottish Government is supporting all local authorities to ensure that Scotland's colonial history is acknowledged and reflected in the curriculum. Can I commend local authorities, including Glasgow City Council, as recognised by Kochab Stewart for the work that they are already doing to prioritise anti-racism education? We are drawing on good ideas such as that and the good practice that is emerging from different parts of Scotland as part of the re-reap. As I have mentioned, the programme includes curriculum reform work streams as part of that, which is currently reviewing the curriculum for excellence framework. That is a very important piece of work, but I commend Glasgow City Council and others for being so proactive in the work that they have been doing on the issue. 3. Maurice Golden Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the education secretary has had with the circular economy minister regarding progress to enhance education and skills for a circular economy. I last met the minister for good skills, circular economy and biodiversity, and when the fourth of me discussed the role of the tertiary sector in promoting and supporting the development of, among other things, the skills required for the circular economy. Maurice Golden I thank the minister for that answer. The Scottish Government promised to recruit circular economy teaching champions. As of 2020, fewer than 100 teachers were involved out of the total of more than 24,000 secondary teachers. Does the minister accept that this isn't good enough progress after eight years, and what steps have been taken to train more circular economy teaching champions? Jamie Hepburn Of course, what the member has laid out is progress. Of course, we would like to see more. I recognise absolutely the need to make sure that young people are equipped with the necessary understanding of the world around them, and actually in relation to my area of activity, an understanding, a deep understanding of the type of skills intervention that they will require to take advantage of the opportunities that will exist through the circular economy. Of course, the work that he has mentioned will continue. I recognise that we need to keep doing more in that regard. If the member wants to write to me, I will be happy to get back to him in further detail. Question 4 has been withdrawn. We will move on to question 5 from Oliver Mundell. Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government what action it has been taking to increase subject choice for secondary pupils. Cabinet Secretary Young people should be able to access a range of pathways that meets their needs, abilities and aspirations. Schools and local authorities are encouraged and supported to consider innovative ways to ensure that there is a wide choice of courses available to the learners. It is for them working together with partners to plan course choices in their area. Oliver Mundell That is all very well and good, but what would the cabinet secretary say to my constituent, who says that, as a parent of an S3 pupil, who is taking her options for next year, I am concerned at the narrowing of the curriculum and education generally at such a young age. We have relatives in England at the same age of my daughter and they will be sitting 10 exams next year. It does not compare and surely leaves children here in Scotland lacking a wide and rounded education and massively disadvantages her against her peers in other parts of the UK and other parts of Scotland, where children still get to city subjects at national five level. As the cabinet secretary agreed, there should be a minimum number of subjects offered to all pupils in Scotland. One of the important issues that was raised by the OECD quite rightly was the importance of having a discussion around the breadth and depth of education within different years of the high school setting. Oliver Mundell might think that it is the recommended approach from what he says that a young person should be sitting 10 exams. That is the good practice that we should be aiming for, but I would point to him again about the OECD work that absolutely does consider that Scotland should have a discussion around ensuring that, yes, children and young people have a broad and deep education, but we need to get that balance correct. Of course, it is up to the schools, and it is quite right that it is up to local authorities and for schools to make sure that they are the designing curriculum that is right for them, for the children and young people that are before them and for the communities that they are there to serve. We should combine that national discussion, but we should also, I think, very importantly leave it to local authorities to make final decisions that are right for the children and young people that they know best. Michael Marrow. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. She knows that members are greatly concerned about the narrowing of the curriculum in terms of the qualifications that people and the experiences that young people seek. In the broad experience of senior-phase pupils, I was greatly concerned in terms of the reports this week relating to the Scottish Government's seemingly shelving plans for the Erasmus scheme, the replacement scheme. The replicable model in Wales is reaching into particularly the young people in later years of schools who have lost experiences in the last couple of years. Can the cabinet secretary confirm, when we will see that plan for a replacement in Scotland? As the minister who is right beside me today has made clear on many occasions, we are discussing the scheme with stakeholders at this time. It is very important that we discuss that with stakeholders, and we take those discussions in an in-depth level to make sure that we make the decisions that are appropriate at this time. It is clearly something that we deeply regret, and had Scotland not been forced out of the European Union a situation, we would never have got ourselves into, apart from having to deal with Brexit. Willie Rennie. However, the minister still cannot explain why Wales was able to do this last year, with a £65 million fund, which means that many students in Wales and from other countries have been able to benefit from that right now. However, Scotland, under the SNP, has been unable to move a single inch. When are we going to get this replacement for Erasmus? If Wales has done it, surely Scotland can. We have looked carefully at what has been introduced in Wales, as Mr Rennie would expect us to. That is part of the discussions that we are having with stakeholders, and we will make announcements on our replacement in due course. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether industrial relations in the college sector could be improved by applying fair work conditions to funding provided by the Scottish funding council. I expect the Scottish funding council to continue its progress in adopting fair work first, both as an employer and through attaching fair work first criteria to its grants, procurements and other funding. I thank the minister for his response. Dundee and Angus College staff and others have been in touch with me about management delaying negotiations, causing additional strike action and disruption to students by refusing to meet for over one and a half weeks. Concerns that that is an attempt to wear the unions down. Anger at the disproportionate bloating of management and rising management pay compared to that of lecturers. If principals pay had increased in line with lecturers pay, it would be around £90,000 a year rather than £164,000 a year. Does the minister agree that it is unacceptable for college management to delay talks to grind the unions down, resulting in another week or more of strikes and disruption? Will he instruct college management to get back around the table until a fair pay deal is reached? Should we be limiting the pay rises of management to ensure that staff and student support services do not suffer? On the fundamental point of the question of ensuring that both parties are at the table, that is something that I have emphasised publicly in the chamber, directly with the College Employers Association and with Colleges Scotland. I have no hesitation in saying to them and indeed to the unions that I want to see them around the table in negotiating this in a timious fashion and hopefully being able to resolve it together. Of course, Maggie Chapman is right. The people who suffer most in this situation are the students who are having their studies, assessments and final tests massively disrupted, creating huge uncertainty for them and for their futures. However, it does not help that the colleges sector in Scotland has had a core budget cut from the SNP at the very moment when they should be at the heart of a Scottish economic transformation. Minister, how many jobs in the college sector will be lost because of this SNP cut? Of course, what Mr Kerr omits—maybe he's forgotten or I don't know whether he deliberately omitted the fact that he's neglected to say—that the Scottish Government is dealing with a 5.2 per cent real-terms reduction in funding as a consequence of UK Government decisions. What I can say is that the decisions that we have taken this year have not only been a maintenance in terms of the core college sector resource but an additional £10 million through the young person's guarantee and an increase of £41 million in capital funding and other funds such as the £5 million capital funding for digital poverty. We are stepping up, we are supporting that sector and we are supporting students. 7. Karen Adam To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with regard to supporting peoples with neurodiverse conditions. We are committed to ensuring that children and young people, including those with neurodiverse conditions, get the support needed to reach their full potential. Last year, we published our updated ASL action plan and progress report to deliver the Morgan review recommendations that we will publish a further update in the autumn. Last year, we also published our progress report on the Autism and Schools action plan. The majority of actions are complete, but we acknowledge that there is more to do to improve the support offered to neurodiverse learners. We continue to engage with partners to take that forward. 8. Karen Adam I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. I have met people who feel that there is gate keeping to help support and a lack of understanding of neurodiverse conditions. Either a behaviour issue or educational issue must be noted before support is offered, but many neurodiverse people can be seen to pass and even thrive in academic and social situations due to masking. That can have a profound impact on many aspects of their lives. Can the Scottish Government give assurances that the many aspects of neurodiverse conditions, such as eating disorders, chronic pain and anxiety, depression, vulnerability to manipulation and bullying, will that be given the focus that they deserve? Cabinet secretary, I can absolutely reassure the member that, in terms of education, a formal diagnosis is not required for a child or young person to receive support with their learning. If a child or young person needs additional support for any reason, including the circumstances that has been mentioned in the education authority, it has a duty to identify, provide for and review that support. I am aware of the issue of masking of autism symptoms, particularly in young girls. I would be happy to meet the member to discuss that if she wishes to go into it in further detail. The mental wellbeing of pupils with neurodiverse conditions should be of paramount importance. Can the minister outline how the Scottish Government supports that, both in the classroom setting but, very importantly, in extracurricular activities to ensure that our schools are as inclusive as they can be and provide that much needed support and opportunity? The member raises a very important point about what is both inside the school setting and extracurricular activities. Clearly, I have spoken in my original answer about the Autism and School Action Plan. There is, of course, the Autism Toolbox, which is a free online resource that has been developed and hosted by Education Scotland to support the inclusion of autistic learners. However, if there are particular circumstances or a particular point—perhaps from a constituency issue—that the member has in mind, I would, of course, be happy to receive further details of that in writing. Does the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress it has made in closing the attainment gap among school pupils? Closing the poverty-related attainment gap remains a key focus of the Scottish Government and speaks to our wider mission to reduce child poverty. Over the course of the last Parliament, there was demonstrable progress and a number of long-term measures to close the poverty-related attainment gap with attainment gaps in literacy and numeracy, narrowing pre-pandemic in primary schools. We know that Covid-19 has made our ambition of achieving equity in education harder, but our increased investment of £1 billion in the Refesh Scories attainment challenge programme is empowering local authorities, headteachers and teachers to identify evidence-based approaches that are right for children and young people in their schools to tackle the attainment gap. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer, but the attainment gap remains stark at its highest level since 2017. Despite the ambitious rhetoric from the First Minister, it is frustrating that evidence continues to point to education not being this Government's number one priority. Will the cabinet secretary agree with me that following years of damaging cuts to local government funding, councils and schools have one arm tied behind their back as they work to close the attainment gap? I point once again to the £1 billion worth of expenditure in the Scottish attainment challenge alone. That is, of course, in addition to the local government settlement. I would also point out to the 3,500 additional teachers that will be funded by the Scottish Government. We already have 2,000 more teachers than we did pre-pandemic. The Government has and will continue to take action to tackle the poverty-related attainment gap. We were saying progress before the pre-pandemic, and I am sure with the refreshed Scottish attainment challenge funding, including over £0.5 billion directly to our headteachers in power through our system that we will see progress once again. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that, since the SNP Government formed in 2007, Scotland has the highest spend per pupil in the UK, and attainment in the number of pupils going on to positive destinations has improved. 95.7 per cent and 98.4 per cent in east and south areas are respectively both in my constituency. That is down to the SNP Scottish Government's funding to reduce the poverty-related attainment gap to give it its full title, empowering schools and teachers who know their pupils best. That is in sharp contrast to the UK Government's colossal failure of a tutoring scheme. It is clear that it is only SNP who can be trusted to give children the very best opportunities that we can against the backdrop of continuing Tory austerity and the spiralling chaos of the cost-of-living crisis. Well, Mr Kerr may not like that from a sedentary position, and he probably didn't like the local government elections last week as well, which proved that the Scottish people have once again put their trust in the Scottish National Party both at national and local level because they see that action that is being taken on this issue, Eleanor Whittle, is quite right to point to the work that we are doing across government to tackle child poverty and to tackle the cost of the school day. That includes, of course, the extension of free school meals, the Scottish attainment challenge that I mentioned in my original answer, and it is very important that the Government has and will continue to take action on this issue. Thank you. That concludes portfolio questions. The next item of business is a statement by Shona Robison on update on cladding remediation programme. I will allow a moment or two for members to move seats.