 Ysgolion busnes y dyfodol iawn yn y podrgynsaeth, y prif yn eich ddysgu ar gyfer r traitoraid i ddau o edrych yn helpu, mynd Diddym yn gwblwr i ddim joinio diwrnoddiant, i wneud ei bwysigig i Yuwe Prif mwy慢慢ach i ddweud i gweithio willoedd cyfnifol, neu'r byw yw'r cyddiant i ddweud i ddweud ei ddweud i ddweud i ddweud i ddweud i ddweud i prif, ac i ddweud i ddweud i ddweud i ddweud i ddweud i ddweud i ddweud i ddweud i mwy mae'r ddafwg o'r affaith i gafiwn i gafodd i chi'n cael ei bach o'r iawn讚? Mae bydwch yn swyddog i'ch chi'n gafodd i gafodd i gafodd i chi'ch ei bach i swannu cymryd. Mae'r ddwyl yn cael ei gafodd i gafodd i gafodd i gafodd i chi'ch chi'n gafodd i chi'ch gafodd o'r iawn On 30 November 2022, we published our updated additional support for learning action plan, which outlines the progress that we have made and the further work that we will take in this area to ensure that all children can access the support that they need. There are around 21,000 children in school who are on the autistic spectrum. Levels of educational access for them varies across Scotland. The National Autistic Society Scotland has told me that local authorities need to be better at recording different types of absences rather than using the actual category of authorised absences. That would better support young people. Will the cabinet secretary look at ways in which that can happen so that more targeted support can be provided to young people on the autistic spectrum? I thank Donald Cameron for this question. One of the aspects that we have just taken into the national improvement framework is around attendance, but an important aspect of that is ensuring that the national agencies are supporting our local government colleagues to then look at who is attending school, why they are not attending school and to be able to assist people to be able to go back into school when it is appropriate for them to do so. I very much take the point that the member is making that it is very important that we look at why children are not attending and then give them the support that is particular to them. That includes those that are neurodiverse and with autism. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer about children with autism. The SNP 2021 manifesto said that Scotland's education system should be accessible to all young people. We want all children and young people to get the support that they need to reach their full potential. We have the highest number of pupils who require additional support on record, both at primary school and secondary school at the same time, especially those numbers and support are being slashed. Is the Scottish Government proud of its record at this stage and how will it change? Of course, all teachers are responsible for the provision of support to pupils with additional support needs rather than those teachers whose role is specifically related to support for learning, but I would also point out that, in 2021, there were 1,036 extra pupil support assistants that have been recruited and that builds on the increase in the previous year and exceeds the programme for government commitments, both on teacher numbers and on pupil support assistants. Yes, there is more to do, but the Government is determined to carry that through. I'm briefly Beatrice Wishart, who joins us remotely. Thanks, Presiding Officer. Another of the impacts from Covid-19 has been a sharp increase in concerns about children's speech, language and communication development. This is a phenomenon that has been recorded by health visitors. The greatest increase is found at two years old, which is a crucial milestone in speech and language development. What additional educational learning support in children's communication development can the Cabinet Secretary commit to today to head off concerns of a looming spoken language crisis in Scotland? Beatrice Wishart is quite right to point out the concerns, particularly of the impact on Covid-19. There has been a focus on that in the Government, but I am happy to write to the member with further details on what is happening in education and health on the issue. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its action to recruit more foster carers. Part of keeping the promise that we are committed to ensuring that children and young people who are looked after away from their own families and homes are provided with caring and loving foster families. I am aware that the pandemic and cost of living crisis has put pressure on foster carer capacity. That has been worsened by the widening pressures facing the social work sector, for example with Ukraine and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Although responsibility for recruiting sufficient foster carers lies with local authorities, we are actively working with key national and local partners to identify action that we can take collectively now and in the future to improve the situation. A key issue around encouraging more foster carers is to ensure that the right financial support is in place. Can the Minister provide an update on discussions with COSLA around progressing the recommendations of the review of care allowances? I agree with Mr Fitzpatrick that ensuring the right financial support is in place, along with practical help, and it is critical to encouraging more people to become foster carers. That is why the Scottish Government is absolutely committed to delivering a national allowance as quickly as possible. We know that that has taken longer than we originally anticipated, and we share the frustrations of care-gatherers and those working with them. I can assure Mr Fitzpatrick that we are looking at all available options to make it happen. My officials are next meeting with COSLA on Tuesday 7 February. Thank you and I also thank the minister for the response. I note that she has made a comment to some of the external factors, but the shocking statistic from Bernardo's last week that reveals that the number of children needing foster care in Scotland has increased by 50 per cent in the last year was not mentioned. I also want to comment on that, and also to ask the same kind of question. The programme for government in 2021-22 said that the Government committed to introducing a national minimum allowance for foster and kinship care, but no such policy has been introduced, meaning that foster carers in Scotland are the only part of them not to receive the payment. When will the Government introduce this long national waiting for a minimum allowance? I covered most of what she asked in her supplementary question in my response to Mr Fitzpatrick. We appreciate that the fostering network has said that there is a shortage of nearly 500 foster carers in Scotland. We are working with stakeholders to explore ways to increase the number of people becoming foster carers. As part of that, we are willing to consider all options that may have the potential to improve the lives of children with care experience, including the possibility of national and local communications. To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it has received that the correct procedures were used by the board of South Lanarkshire College when it took the decision to dismiss its principle. Decisions on the employment status of a principle is a matter for the relevant college board. The SFC is assured and have assured me that due process has been followed in this case. In fact, the college board did not follow the college's disciplinary procedures and I have them here. The principal, Aileen McKecney, could not ask questions, call witnesses, challenge evidence. She was not even shown any evidence against her. The outcome was a foregone conclusion, which I predicted. She was sacked along with the clerk to the board, Brian Keegan, who wrote the rule book on college governance and was then accused in a statement of bullying Andy Kerr. What really stinks is that there is no right of appeal. The college's disciplinary procedure says that sacked employees have the right to an appeal without reasonable delay and that it should be dealt with impartially. Due process has not been followed and the Government needs to step in. The college EIS feeler branch has just had a vote of no confidence in the board the second time. What does the cabinet secretary intend to do? Given the facts, does she still have confidence in the board? The funding council has provided on-going assurance that the Government's improvement plan, for example, has been agreed by the college board and is being implemented. The college is under strong leadership in the form of the current interim principal with a new and effective board in place and the college continues to function well. The matter of the employment of a principal is a matter for the board and it is important that that process will continue. If Mr Simpson would like to respond to me in writing with detailed points on that matter, I would be more than happy to take that up with the funding council, but I am content and the funding council is content that due process has been followed in this case. If there is further action to be taken, then of course the funding council would support the regional board and the board to have the facilitation to do that. Mr Simpson, I asked at the start for brief questions. I have had to interrupt a number of members to get them to get to questions. I would discourage you from challenging the chair when the chair has asked you to pose that question. Thank you very much. We move on to question 4, Rachel Hamilton. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle bullying in schools. Bullying off any kind is unacceptable and must be addressed quickly and effectively. Respect for all our national guidance on anti-bullying supports this. We expect schools and local authorities to use the national approach to recording and monitoring bullying incidents, monitoring locally-allowed schools to identify patterns, intervene early and provide appropriate support. We continue to fully fund respect me, Scotland's anti-bullying service, to build confidence and capacity to address bullying effectively. Education Scotland has completed a thematic inspection of the national approach. We will consider the findings and next steps carefully and we are committed to refreshing the national guidance on anti-bullying later this year. Correct, Cabinet Secretary. Bullying in Scottish schools is not acceptable. Under this SNP Government abuse of teachers in our schools has spiralled out of control with almost 75,000 recorded acts on school staff since 2017. In my constituency, in the borders, teacher and staff abuse in schools has increased by 355% since 2017, and while staff absences for mental health reasons have almost doubled, the correlation is clear. Having presided over such appalling levels of abuse, Cabinet Secretary, could she provide this Parliament with a plan to fix the problem that this Government has created? The very important aspect when we are looking at bullying, harassment or any violence and intimidation in our schools, whether that is towards pupils or staff, is to work together to be able to find a solution to that. The Scottish advisory group on relationships and behaviour in Scotland provides advice and guides to ministers on improving relationships. That is the place where we work together with COSLA representatives from local authorities and professional associations to ensure that we are providing evidence, advice and guidance to ensure that we are getting that right. I would be more than happy to week with Ms Hamilton if she has particular suggestions about what policies need to change, because I think that this is something that we all take seriously. We are determined to keep under review, as I said in my original answer, and the board that I have mentioned is the way that we can work together to do that, and I would hope that we can work together across the chamber as well. Cabinet Secretary, we have seen this morning's Glasgow Herald exclusive, which has the headline worry teachers say toxic positivity leads to bullying and fails pupils. A whistleblower who works in the east end of Glasgow in a secondary school is commenting on something called pivotal behaviour method, which is failing, in the words of the whistleblower, the 97 per cent of kids who are well behaved and doing well academically. Will the cabinet secretary investigate the failings that are identified in this whistleblower's report? I have read the reports in the Herald this morning, and I would reiterate again that any forms of violence are unacceptable. I am not going to comment on specific cases, and it is up for schools and local authorities as the employers to decide what action should be taken in schools. However, I have said in my original answer that there is a national group that looks at this, which works with COSLA, and we will continue to work with our local authority colleagues and with the professional associations to ensure that, if there are changes to be made, then we take those decisions together. To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to further encourage articulation from college-based higher national qualifications to university-based degree programmes. The Scottish Government recognises articulation from college to university as a key route into degree level study, which includes many learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. The commission on widening access recognised the importance of expanding articulation, and we are committed to implementing the commission's recommendations in full. Since then, we have invested in additional places for students progressing from college to university, and we continue to work collaboratively with the college and university sector and the Scottish Funding Council on articulation, for example through the Collegy Scotland joint articulation group. I thank the cabinet secretary for her reply, and does she agree with me that the progress Scottish universities are making in terms of the fair access is significantly helped by colleges providing higher national courses that articulate with degree programmes, and that there is every reason therefore to further support colleges and encourage universities to further develop more articulation arrangements. I would certainly agree with Michelle Thomson on this. It is in a very important way that we can widen access to higher education. Articulation from college is a key route to degree level study. Many learners from disadvantaged backgrounds will take that, as I say, and they can also of course study for degrees within colleges who are affiliated to a university. We are very keen to see further progress in this, and particularly for full articulation and recognition of the work that goes on within our colleges to allow students to articulate up to a university with that study being fully recognised. A key issue present in colleges is the inability to properly assess completion rates. When the minister attended the education committee in November, he was questioned by several MSPs about what he is doing to resolve the issue and when it would be fixed. Mr Hepburn said that my ambition is to do it as soon as possible. It has now been three months. Will the Government provide an update on what progress has been made and if no substantial progress has been made, why not? I am happy to ask Mr Hepburn, who is not able to attend portfolio questions today to be able to go through this in detail with the member. It is a very important issue that she has raised, so if she will allow, we will get back in writing to her. To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring is undertaken to ensure that any commitments made to tertiary education are delivered. Scottish Government monitors delivery through normal processes set up by our tertiary education delivery arms, such as the funding council, SAS and SDS. Ministers issue a letter of guidance every year to public bodies setting out priorities in line with the programme for government. The Scottish funding council, in turn, has yearly outcome agreements with colleges and universities that set out what individual institutions will deliver. The funding council tracks delivery against those outcomes and publishes various progress and statistical reports on their website regularly. Ministers and officials also regularly engage with those organisations to monitor delivery of key commitments. I am principally concerned with what the Government is delivering to those institutions. They still await any conclusion to the critical coherence review. A raft of actions under the 2017 student finance report, the production of multi-year spending plans committed to back in 2021, a replacement scheme for Erasmus promised at the election, replacement metrics for widening access on the desk since 2014, when Shirley-Anne Somerville held the post of universities and colleges minister. The international education strategy years overdue. I could go on, but I will not. It is basic policy work that ministers are failing to deliver that is holding back the sector. Is the problem a lack of capability, a lack of energy or a lack of interest? Government is delivering for both colleges and universities, and that is demonstrated in the budget that will follow on from portfolio questions today with additional funding going to our colleges and universities. There are a number of commitments that this Government was elected upon to deliver during this parliamentary term, and we will absolutely have that from intention of doing so. I thank the cabinet secretary for her response. Can the cabinet secretary set out how the Scottish Government is supporting our tertiary sector? As I said in my answer to Michael Marra, one of the important ways that we are doing that is to ensure that we are providing funding to colleges and universities so that the net college sector resource budget will be increasing by £26 million and, of course, the universities budget will also be increasing by £20 million. That is an important significant work that this Government has undertaken, and there are very difficult financial constraints this year. To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to increase the recruitment of people support assistance, including ensuring that they receive fair pay. Local councils are responsible for the recruitment and deployment of their staff during the pandemic that the Scottish Government provided an additional £240 million to local authorities to support the recruitment of additional teachers and support staff. We have since committed further permanent funding for £145.5 million a year to support education staffing. Pay for local government workers, including pupil support assistance, is a matter for councils. Despite that, the Scottish Government recognises the crucial role that council staffs play in our communities, which is why we supported local government with an additional £260.6 million to enable them to successfully agree a pay deal for 2020-23. I thank the cabinet secretary for the answer. It was reported yesterday that councillors in Edinburgh will be asked to approve a 2.4 million cut to teaching assistance post in an industry that is already struggling with retention and recruitment of staff. This news is deeply concerning. Can the cabinet secretary tell us now what action will be taken to protect pupil support and classroom assistance jobs, and the vital role that they play in children's educational and social development? Clearly, councils have not yet taken those decisions. Those are proposals by officers at this point. However, I point to the national work that this Government has undertaken and has been well-publicised around teachers. However, I would also say that that includes our determination to ensure that we recognise and protect the role of classroom assistance. Can I ask the cabinet secretary to set out the Scottish Government's commitment to increase classroom assistance numbers? I am firmly off the view that we will not improve Scottish education by having fewer teachers or fewer classroom assistance in our schools. Our commitment remains to increase the number of teachers by 3,500 and classroom assistance by 500 by the end of this parliamentary term. We continue to provide local authorities with £145.5 million annual funding to support that ambition. To ask the Scottish Government what recent meetings it has had with University Scotland to discuss gender-based violence in higher education. The Scottish Government engages frequently with University Scotland on a range of student wellbeing issues, including gender-based violence. For example, University Scotland is represented on the Equally Safe in Colleges and Universities core leadership group, which is chaired by the Minister for Higher and Further Education. The group meets on a quarterly basis most recently on 16 November. In December last year, the University of Glasgow published a report on the university staff and student procedures and support arrangements in relation to gender-based violence, and found that there had been a significant increase in reports of gender-based violence by undergraduates in the previous 18 months. Rodag Ross Casey, who led the review, highlighted series problems in the university's processes and handling incidents, said that, when she went to the student newspaper at the Glasgow Guardian that she was threatened, if she took her case to the press, she would be removed from her degree. I am sure that the minister agrees that that is true and wrong, but does the Scottish Government agree that Scottish universities need to make their sexual misconduct processes open and transparent to ensure that students have full confidence when reporting gender-based violence? It is absolutely critical in all workplaces or places of education that students and staff fail to report and once they have reported an incident. The Scottish Government also funds the Emily test charity to ensure that universities and colleges are not only taking the matter seriously but are acting upon that. I recently wrote to all the universities to encourage them strongly to join the Emily test charter if they have not done so already, and I would reiterate that once again today because Pauline McNeill raises an exceptionally important point that we need to ensure that this is tackled and that we need to ensure that everyone feels safe both within their workplace and place of education. It should be common sense that under no circumstances should a rapist be allowed on a college or university campus, yet here I am again. For the second week in a row, raising this matter, last week I was discussing a rapist enrolled at a university. This week, a rapist enrolled on a college beauty course. This is appalling, unacceptable and not to mention dangerous. We need change, we need guidance and we need it now. Will the cabinet secretary firstly ban suspected and convicted sex offenders from university and college campuses? Will she issue national guidance? The Minister for Further and Higher Education met the principal of Ayrshire College on 30 January to colour fight enrolment procedures and safeguarding measures in that college, given recent cases. That builds on the work that he has already leading and the previous discussions undertaking around concerns to protect students if other students are subject to criminal investigation. Scottish Government officials are working at pace with representatives from colleges and universities as well as a range of stakeholders with the aim of producing guidance to address those concerns. The first meeting of the working group has been arranged for 10 February. That will include areas such as information sharing across institutions and with regard to those already in the justice system. That again builds on discussions that the Scottish Government has had with UCAS, Police Scotland, the College Development Network and University Scotland. We are also aware that the minister has met with Ms Gozel on this and it obviously remains happy to do so in the future. That concludes portfolio questions. There will be a brief pause before we move to the next item of business.