 Gwladd Ysgwydd, can I remind members of the Covid-related measures that are in place and that face coverings should be worn when moving around the chamber and across the Holyrood campus? The next item of business is education skills portfolio questions. If a member wishes to request a supplementary question, they should press the request to speak button or enter R in the chat function during the relevant question. 2. Gordon Macdonald To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of schools are being reported as in good or satisfactory condition. School buildings across Scotland are in their best conditions since recorded figures began. The proportion of schools in good or satisfactory condition has increased from 61 per cent in April 2007 to 90.2 per cent in April 2021. I thank the cabinet secretary for that response. Thanks to the Scottish Government's learning estate investment programme, the City of Edinburgh Council are building what they hope to be the first pass of house school to replace the current curry high school based in my constituency. Does the minister agree with me that investment in our school estate is vital in supporting our young people's learning journey? I agree with Gordon Macdonald on that. The investment in our school estate is absolutely key. That is exactly why we are moving forward with the third phase of the school project to benefit from the £2 billion learning estate investment programme. That, of course, builds on the already £1.8 billion in our Scotland schools to the future programme, which in itself delivered 117 new or refurbished learning facilities. So far, within the current programme to date, we have 37 projects across 23 local authorities delivering investment in our schools. It has been nearly three months since the cabinet secretary, in lieu of the long-promised learning estate strategy, the Government released an acceptable 83-word GIQ answer instead. The cabinet secretary tells us when a full plan and criteria will be published and what assessment has been done on the impact to proposed projects currently sitting on shelves across the country, including the western gateway primary school in Dundee due to the delay of this Government. There has been no delay in the project and I would point out to all members that it is the obligation and responsibility for local authorities for the upcape of the school estate that is provided by the Scottish Government. In addition to that, we are working closely with our partners in the Scottish local authorities to ensure that the criteria is discussed and agreed. The criteria for the phase 3 will be agreed by the learning estate investment programme governance board, which has expected to include COSLA, the local authority representative group's Scottish Government and the Scottish Futures Trust. As I have said in the past to Michael Marra and to other members, if they wished to have suggestions for the criteria for that, we would welcome their contributions. To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to offer home fee status to refugees and other people displaced from Ukraine who wished to study in Scotland. The First Minister has called on the UK Government to follow the EU as an example of all visa requirements for resident Ukraine that have been impacted by the Russian invasion that is looking to seek refuge in the UK. Individuals who are granted refugee status by the Home Office and come to Scotland to live and study will be eligible for home tuition fee status and student support. We are considering the impact of those who have been displaced as a result of the crisis in Ukraine and wish to study in Scotland. We are taking forward discussion with the sector on the issue and we are keen to find a solution to where possible. I welcome that commitment to address the situation and say to the minister that there will be refugees and family members who are studying in Ukraine who will be coming within days. Everything that we can do will be important. Can I confirm with the minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with universities and colleges to make sure that those students have that chance to keep studying and can be matched with appropriate degree and college classes so that they don't miss out? We all hope that the invasion will be over as soon as possible, but given that people's homes and buildings have been destroyed across Ukraine, does the minister agree that helping those students to continue learning will be important in helping Ukraine to recover and rebuild in the future? Yes, I do. I think that there are two things at play here. We must do everything that we can to support those Ukrainian nationals who are here already. There are a number here already studying in Scotland and indeed we must also reach out and make sure that we support those who come to Scotland in due course. Ms Boyack is quite right to point out that some will be here imminently. I have met all university and college principals. I met them on 2 March to discuss the current situation and how we can collectively respond to it. I was heartened to see the sector embracing and responding in the appropriate fashion and collectively that is what we will continue to do to make sure that we support those students who are here and those who will come. I would like to ask the Scottish Government if it will be taking action to offer support to Ukrainian and Russian students who have been financially impacted by the war. I thank the member for the question. She also mentioned Russian students. It is important that we bear in mind that not everyone in Russia, not every Russian student here, is a supporter of the Russian regime and we must make sure that we are reaching out to them just as we reach out to the Ukrainian community here. I go back to the answer that I gave. I have had that discussion with universities and colleges. There is financial support through hardship funds, which international students can access through the specific coronavirus funding that we have put in place in the first instance, but we continue to engage to have that dial, to have that discussion to make sure that where we need to go further, we will. I echo the comments of the minister with regard to Russian students. I ask a similar question. Given the hope that there are 3,000 refugees on their way, it would appear that most of those will be single parents with children. What discussions have been had with regard to the schooling, the education that those children will need on their arrival in Scotland? I know that there has been a concerted discussion with COSLA in relation to that. Of course, Cabinet Secretary is leaning on that rather than I have the full detail of those discussions, but I am sure that if the member wants to write to us, we will be able to give him more details. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Scotland's university principles. As I mentioned, I will not go along with officials. Most recently, I met Scotland's university principles on 7 March to discuss the Ukraine crisis, its impact on the sector and how students and staff are being supported. I thank the minister for his response. When the minister talks to university principles, does he raise with them the university's pension dispute? Has he asked them why employers in Scotland have rejected the university and college union's compromise proposals that would avoid an average 35 per cent cut in members' pension guarantees? Has he asked them why they have made no attempt whatsoever to meaningfully engage with the UCU? Will he call on them to revoke the cuts, re-enter negotiations, show some leadership and settle once and for all the long-running dispute that they have quite consciously and intentionally provoked and prolonged? The member with some rhetorical flourish asked me if I engage with the sector on these matters. It may come as no surprise to him that, yes, indeed I do engage with the sector on these matters. That has been an issue that I have discussed with both the employers and unions. I like my clear expectation that there should be dialogue, meaningful dialogue and that it should take place on the basis of the principles of the fair work approach that we take for the universities and the unions to resolve that. I want to see minimal impact on students and staff alike, and my sincere desire is that the parties engage in meaningful, proper dialogue and resolve the matter. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that all apprentices are paid the real living wage. As employees' apprentices' wages are set by employers in line with the national minimum wage, which is a reserved matter for the UK Government. Through our fair work policy, we encourage every employer to reward their staff fairly, and we are possible to pay at least the real living wage for workers of all ages, including apprentices. We have encouraged the UK Government to abolish the apprenticeship minimum wage rate and to move towards the real living wage of £9.90 per hour for all workers. We are fully committed to promoting fair work practices throughout Scotland and will continue to press the UK Government for the full set of powers that are in employment law, so we can fully deliver our fair work ambitions. As the minister knows, the national minimum wage for apprenticeships is only £4.30 per hour if the apprentice is 19 or under, or in the first year of their apprenticeship. Does the Scottish Government agree with that, and if not, will it make paying the full living wage a condition for employer support, and can it confirm that all apprenticeships in the public sector are paid the living wage? As I have laid out in my initial answer, yes, I do believe that the apprentice rate should be a move towards decency in wages across the board, and that includes apprentices. I should say that, despite that being the minimum that employers should pay, we have the Scottish Apprenticeship Pay Survey, which was undertaken in 2018, and the median levels at that stage were considerably above the minimum, the statutory minimum. We see employers not paying quite that level and paying above the minimum rate. Of course, if we had responsibility for those matters here in the Scottish Parliament, we could take the position that we would legislate for the changes that we seek to embed in relation to the living wage more generally, and that is something that we will continue to push for. Apprentices' minimum wages are not sufficient to enable apprentices to rent privately, yet in rural, remote and island areas such as Shetland, the logistics of daily commuting is not always an option. What steps can the Scottish Government take to ensure adequate provision of affordable accommodation for apprentices, similar perhaps to student accommodation, near to their place of work? I understand the analogy between students' courses, which are not entirely analogous, in that those who are apprentices are employees and will not have quite the same living circumstances as students might in terms of living in student accommodation. We, of course, will take any suggestion that is earnestly made on board, and I am happy to consider that. However, the real task, of course, is to get on with our extensive programme of social house building, which will benefit Ms Wishart's constituency, just as well everyone in this chamber's constituency. It is important that our apprentices are not just appropriately paid and supported, but have the opportunity to secure clear pathways within the public sector. In that regard, can I ask the minister what steps the Scottish Government has taken to increase the number of apprentices, for example, in Scotland's NHS? It is important that every sector plays its part in supporting apprenticeships. That is as true of the public sector as is the private sector. The national health service is a very active employer of apprentices. I am very pleased to say that it uses the various frameworks across foundation, modern apprenticeships and graduate apprenticeship skills when Scotland engages with NHS boards regularly. During Scottish Apprenticeship week last week, the First Minister launched a new £3.4 million Scottish Government recruitment programme that will see 150 apprentices' pharmacy technicians trained and recruited across Scotland this year. The NHS is certainly pulling it apart. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the model to reduce the number of headteachers that is reportedly being proposed by a Gail and Bute Council will improve educational attainment. I firmly believe that teachers and effective school leaders are the most important factors in improving children's outcomes in our schools and key to ensuring excellence and equity for all. Jackie Baillie is aware that recruitment and deployment of headteachers is a matter for individual councils based on local needs and circumstances. It would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to interfere in the school management decisions that are made by our Gail and Bute Council. Irrespective of management structures, I would expect headteachers to be supported by their local authority to work in consultation with parents and young people to achieve the very best outcomes for their learners. Educational attainment is a matter for the Scottish Government. The truth is that parents in our Gail and Bute are opposed to those plans. Teachers in our Gail and Bute are opposed to those plans. The proposal, frankly, is not evidence-based, because there is no evidence that reducing the number of headteachers will improve educational attainment. That is fundamentally about cuts to education. What discussions have the Scottish Government had with our Gail and Bute Council about those plans? Does the Scottish Government support the model that simply cuts the number of headteachers and does nothing to improve attainment that they are responsible for? As Jackie Baillie says in her question, the council is currently consulting on those proposals. I appreciate that there are very strongly held views by parents, young people and teachers and headteachers in the local authority. I encourage them to take part in the consultation process and, of course, for the local authority to be very close attention to their responses. I would very much say that leadership is recognised as one of the most important aspects in the success of any school. Leaders at all levels have to be empowered, and those who empower others as part of that can take ownership of the learning within a school. Then we have a very strong track record of ensuring the highest quality of learning and teaching. That is what the Scottish Government wishes to see, and I am sure that that is shared by all councils across Scotland. I have a number of supplementaries, and I intend to take them all at first. As the cabinet secretary will be aware, it is SNP cuts that have led to councils considering the shared leadership model. In Labour-run North Lanarkshire, they are looking at shared leadership for schools in the Christen area. Does the cabinet secretary share the concerns of parents in the Christen area that that could lead to a drop in the quality of education? Of course, the Scottish Government has been determined and has delivered a fair funding settlement for local government in the exceptional difficult circumstances that we have with cuts to our budget coming from the member's UK Government. Within that, I have recognised the concerns that happened in North Lanarkshire that have been brought to my attention by Fulton MacGregor recently. I again appreciate the concerns that are being raised very much by the young people, parents and staff in that area. Consultation is absolutely key to that, as is a genuine understanding that the local authority must have about the strength of opinion on those issues. It is then a matter for the local authority to carry out the recruitment and retention of the school teachers, including head teachers in their area. I am a bit surprised that the education secretary does not seem to be that bothered, that we are creating superheads all over the country. I reported last month that it is happening in the East Nuka Fife with nine schools with one superhead that locals are very opposed to. In addition to the national cuts, there is clearly a shortage of head teachers. A report from 2009 by the Government indicated that it was going to be a shortage of head teachers, but the Government does not seem to have done anything about it. Why is she so laid back and why has she not got a plan for increasing the number of head teachers? The last time we had this discussion in the chamber, and I will point out again that the Scottish Government holds very, very dearly to the evidence that we have that effective leadership within our schools is very key to the highest possible standards within our education sector. It is for local authorities, of course, to make decisions about what that leadership looks like in consultation with parents within the local areas. I do appreciate that there is concern over a number of local authorities' areas around the decisions that local authorities are taking on that, and I am paying close attention to that, particularly given the importance that we place on leadership within our schools. I point out to Mr Rennie in addition that we have the head teacher recruitment working group, which met on 28 January and is currently discussing those issues to ensure that, if any further progress needs to be taken, then it will be. The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills is paying very close attention to the issue. I think that the chamber, but more importantly parents and pupils across the country, would like to hear directly from the Cabinet Secretary whether she thinks that it is important that schools have a single leader, a head teacher, that can build the learning environment for the people in that school and be leaders in that community. This is something that we are seeing across the country, just vague expressions of that it might be important and not enough. What is her personal position? Does she think that it is the right thing that we have individual head teachers in our schools? The Government's position on this is something that I have made clear again and again during those questions today, that leadership within our schools is exceptionally important and the Government has demonstrated that over a number of years without the importance that we have placed on head teachers and on the empowerment of head teachers within that. If Mr Marra or other members who usually tell me not to interfere in local authority matters are asking me to dictate to local authorities what actually happens in every single school across the country, it is clear that that is what they are asking me to do and the implications of that. In the meantime, I will continue to ensure that we are working very closely with our local authority partners so that they have a real understanding of the importance that the Scottish Government places within leadership in our schools and we will continue to work with local authorities on that basis. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of reports of concerns regarding governance at South Lanarkshire College. The Scottish Funding Council is responsible for investigating any potential issues around college governance. Following an independent review of governance at South Lanarkshire College, the SFC continued to work closely with the regional strategic body to ensure arrangements that are in place to secure good governance, send leadership and positive outcomes for students. Minister's paramount interest is safeguarding the quality of learning at South Lanarkshire College and the high standards of governance are crucial to ensuring that. The Scottish Funding Council will continue to provide updates to the Scottish Government as required. A number of colleges still haven't implemented the nationally agreed dispute resolution process. What steps has the Scottish Government taken to ensure that every college can implement it? I think we'll try to see if we can get Ms Mackay back. I'm not looking too promising. If you give us a few seconds to see if anything is likely to happen or not. I don't know if the Cabinet Secretary got enough to really make a stab at it. I think what we'll have to do is ask Ms Mackay if she could write to the Cabinet Secretary with her supplementary and the Cabinet Secretary could then answer that. I apologise to Ms Mackay and to the chamber. That concludes portfolio questions. There will be a very short pause before we move on to the next item of business.