 The first item of business this afternoon is portfolio questions and the portfolio on this occasion is education and skills. Usual reminder, members wishing to ask a supplementary should press the request-to-speak buttons during the relevant question, and I call question number one, Stuart McMillan. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I also want to ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the SQA in relation to the consistency of national 4 and national 5 preliminary examination papers. Well, prelims can be valuable preparation for final national 5 exams and a useful guide on pupil progress. They are not compulsory and the decision on whether to set prelims rests with individual schools or colleges. As they are not a formal part of the process for awarding SQA qualifications, SQA does not have any role in the delivery of prelim exams. National 4 qualifications are made up of units, including an added value unit, with no final external examination. They are internally assessed as pass or fail and are externally quality assured by the SQA. Therefore prelims are not commonly used at this level. Stuart McMillan. I thank the cabinet secretary for that reply. The quality and consistency of the prelim exam papers becomes important to students who find themselves in the need of an appeal, particularly through that process, if they are unable to actually sit the SQA final exam. Certainly that has been the situation with one of my constituents who got an A in the prelim, but on appeal got a B after the SQA said that the marking criteria had not been consistently applied and that the level of demand of the assessment that generates the evidence was less than the course assessment. Would the cabinet secretary consider it to be better for students if they all sat the same prelim exam or one that the SQA agreed was equal to the course assessment? I thank the member for his question. I think that it is worth reiterating that the SQA does not have any role in the delivery of our prelim exams. However, it is also worth saying that, since the introduction of the, as they were then, new national qualifications back in 2013-14, apart from the temporary pandemic arrangements, in any alternative evidence have not formed part of the appeals process. However, I am the view that the appropriate evidence to inform the appeals process is obviously a matter for the new qualifications body and it is something that they should keep under review. Of course, the SQA does look at alternative evidence for exceptional circumstances, so those are for pupils who might have been unable to sit their exam or whose performance was impacted due to illness, for example. The SQA gives extensive guidance for centres around what constitutes valid evidence in those circumstances, including, of course, prelim evidence. The SQA also gives a range of support to centres around about understanding standards, to support teachers in setting assessments and understanding the level for the learner against the national standard. Fundamentally, there is a wider programme of education reform that is currently under way, and I believe that that will require to consider approaches to assessment in much more detail, as part of any changes to the qualifications that might come forward. In the meantime, I would encourage Mr McMillan's constituent to discuss this matter directly with their school or local authority. I'm very grateful, Deputy Presiding Officer. When we look at the role of the SQA in qualifications, we look back at 2022 when a generous approach was used to grading. Last year, exams, it was a sensitive approach to grading. With the change coming with regard to the SQA and, actually, very pertainly to the question that's been asked with regard to appeals, what approach will the SQA take this year? I thank the member for his question. Of course, this year, for the first time, we reintroduced the qualification requirements that existed prior to the pandemic and the arrangements around the appeals process mirror those that existed prior to the pandemic. Of course, this or last academic year, I should say, as the member has intimated, there are a range of different measures that the SQA took in relation to being sensitive to the grading approach that they applied. As I understand it, they have returned to the approach that was applied prior to the pandemic, and the arrangements have returned to normal, although I'd be more than happy to write to the member directly on this issue to confirm that directly with the SQA. That is certainly my understanding of the approach that they are taking this year. No teacher, member of staff or pupil should have to suffer abuse in our schools. Last week concluded the final stage in the behaviour summits, with a wide range of stakeholders on behaviour in our schools. The behaviour in Scottish schools research was also published last week, which provides the accurate national picture in relation to behaviour in Scotland's schools. Although the bitter research set out that the majority of our pupils are well-behaved, there has been a marked increase in disruptive behaviour since the research was last carried out in 2016. I have been clear that it is unacceptable and it will require a co-ordinated response, which recognises that schools cannot manage the shift in behaviour on their own. In my statement to Parliament last week, I confirmed that a multi-year plan is in development to tackle instances of challenging behaviour, working with local authorities, trade unions and others. The SNP is entirely responsible for trashing Scotland's education system. A key reason for our children being so badly failed is that classroom discipline has collapsed with teachers and pupils suffering unprecedented levels of violence. However, just as we see with the SNP's weak justice system, those responsible know that there is no punishment and no deterrent. What does the education secretary have to say to teachers who just want to do their jobs and to pupils who just want to learn in safety? I am sorry to say to Mr Finlay that the way in which we approach our education system is very different from the way that we approach our justice system. One of the ways that I was keen to sit out in my statement to the chamber last week is that we work with our local authorities on recognising the importance of having a national approach to supporting better behaviour in our classrooms. I have been absolutely clear in my statement last week, Presiding Officer, that the changes that we have seen in behaviour over the course of 2016, when the research was last carried out, are unacceptable. They are unacceptable for our teachers and our young people. I set out a five-point plan to Parliament last week to tackle behaviour in Scotland's school. I recognise very much all the challenges that exist here, but the point that I was making to the member in my initial response is that schools cannot do this on their own. We need a co-ordinated response that looks to engage, for example, our health professionals in speech and language provision. We heard contributions from other members to that point last week, but also that helps to support consistency in relation to how behaviour management policies are applied. That is actually a matter for our teachers, who I trust to deliver behaviour management policies in our schools. I have got a number of supplementaries that are trying to get them all in. First, Bill Ken. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Cabinet Secretary, last week's BISSR highlighted that poverty can have a clear impact on behaviour at secondary level. Does the cabinet secretary share my concern that the extension of sanctions regime that was announced by the chancellor last week and the continued commitment of the Westminster parties to austerity could have a knock-on impact of how some of the most vulnerable young people fare at school? Cabinet Secretary, I think that the member is absolutely right. Having talked to hungry children, I know exactly how poverty interacts with our education system. It is a damning indictment on the way in which the UK Government has organised its approach to supporting some of our most vulnerable, and it is impacting in our classrooms. We saw that bear out in the PISA evidence published. Well, I hear shuntering from the Conservative benches, Presiding Officer, but I have to say that the actions taken by their Government in Westminster is harming the outcomes of our young people in schools in Scotland today. The Government is taking action that we can to protect our young people from poverty. That is why we are investing in the game-changing Scottish child payment as part of a package of measures that means that an estimated 90,000 fewer children will live in poverty in Scotland this year. We also have the most generous free-school meals provision in the UK. That is something that I wish other parts of the UK would echo. I think that that support has been pivotal to some of the progress that we have seen in relation to our young people. However, those are the SNP's values in action, Presiding Officer. They could not be starker in contrast to the actions of a Tory Government driving more and more of our children into poverty. Thank you, Presiding Officer. The cabinet secretary, of course, mentioned PISA. The results this week really must be a wake-up call. The crisis in behaviour in schools is impacting attainment, causing standards to drop, and it is no longer just about young people feeling safe, but it is about the future of our entire education system. The Government said that they needed to listen before they acted, and pupils, teachers and parents have spoken. Yet the Government response is lacking. It blamed teachers but abandoned pupils and its sideline parents. Can I ask the cabinet secretary when does she intend to get serious about this issue, show the leadership of our education needs and come back to this chamber with specific actions to further address behaviour in schools? I have to say to the member that I am somewhat disappointed by her response. This is not going to take one parliamentary statement to solve. We need parents to be part of the solution, which is exactly why I have been engaging with the National Parents Forum on this very issue only last week. She talks about engagement with the profession. I met with our trade unions yesterday. We had a good discussion about some of the action collectively that we can take together. I have to say to the member that the Government cannot do this on our own, but I accept my responsibility as cabinet secretary in setting out a national action plan. I very much hope that the member will work with me to that end, recognising that we will need to have a co-ordinated response to the challenges presented in relation to behaviour. I think that she is right in relation to her point on PISA. We need a co-ordinated response that recognises the challenge and does not accept that as the new normal in our education system. Can we listen to the questions and, indeed, the answers? This week, I met with a head teacher who, with over 20 years' teaching experience across different areas of Scotland. She told me about the violence and abuse from pupils and parents and its impact on other pupils and all levels of staffing. She spoke of the enormous workload, budget cuts, low staff morale, unable to meet children's needs and feeling helpless in a system that she says is broken and she is now resigned. The Scottish Government's response is more training for teachers. Does the education secretary really think that a teacher of that experience just needs more training? I do not know if Beatrice Wishart was actually in the chamber last week when I gave my response to the BISA research—that was not my response at all. We did provide additional funding for those who work in learning support because, of course, the BISA research talked about our learning support assistance asking for that additionality through that independent research. I want to point to that. This is not just about staff training, but about a societal shift. It is not just happening in our schools post-Covid. There are challenges playing out in all our communities and all our constituencies that we are all very well aware of in relation to anti-social behaviour, for example, on some of our buses and some of the challenges that we face on our justice network. This is not just about school. We should be mindful of societal shifts since the pandemic. We are trying to work with our local authority partners in relation to the changes that we have seen in relation to our young people and their behaviour. She spoke about some of the violence. I think that some of the most shocking parts of the BISA research that was published last week were some of the challenges and some of our youngest children. We know, for example, that the transition for some of our youngest from the early years into primary has been extremely traumatic. Those are the young people who were out of formal education during national lockdowns. They were also out of education during industrial action, so their education was disrupted. To Ms Duncan Glancy's point, I think that some of the impact is now playing out in relation to PISA. We need a holistic response to that. I am very sorry, I have to say, to hear about the story that Ms Whisher has outlined today about the professional who has left the teaching profession. We need more people who work in Scotland's schools to help support our young people. I commit to Parliament to come back next week to give a fuller update in relation to the PISA response. Question 3, Polly McNeill. To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing in schools to educate boys to prevent violence against women and girls. The Scottish Government is clear that harassment or abuse in any form, whether in the workplace, schools or in the home or in society, is completely reprehensible and must stop. The conduct and behaviour of perpetrators must change if we are to end harassment and abuse. I am concerned by the findings of the behaviour in Scottish school research, echoed, of course, by surveys undertaken by some of our teaching unions about rises in misogyny in our schools. The Government will shortly publish a national framework for schools on preventing and responding to gender-based violence. That will help to ensure consistent messages on sexual harassment and gender-based violence for everyone working with children and young people. It will also support our commitment to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. As she says, that misogyny is unfortunately still rife in our schools and many young women still report sexual harassment at school at an alarming level. Scottish Labour's consultation on violence against women and girls found that developing educational resources on gender-based violence for all boys and young men in Scotland should be a key priority if we have to effectively tackle violence against women and girls. Will the Scottish Government commit to introducing bespoke workshops that specifically teach boys and young men about healthy relationships and interactions with girls and young women, and will they consider rolling them across the whole curriculum? I thank Pauline McNeill for her question. I think that she raises a really important point. I intimated in my initial response that we will be publishing very shortly the gender-based violence framework that will set out the national approach. I think that the proposal that she has brought to the chamber today is an interesting one. I commit to working with her on this matter, recognising that that support in our schools I think will be needed absolutely on the front line to tackle some of the challenges that we see borne out in the bespoke research, but also a number of our teaching unions have carried out some really detailed research on this issue. It doesn't just affect female pupils, but it affects female members of staff. Our teaching population is majority female, so we need to be mindful of the shifts that are happening in relation to some of the trends that are playing out. Anecdotally, we have also seen the rise of individuals such as Andrew Tate. I think that some of that is impacting on behaviour in our schools, so we absolutely need a co-ordinated approach. That is what the framework will set out in more detail. I will take Ms McNeill's idea away from today's portfolio questions and speak to officials about whether or not we might be able to support the approach that she is outlining. There is a lot of interest in supplementaries. I am going to try and get them all in, but they will need to be questions, spare us the preambles and the responses will need to be relatively brief too, first, Jim Fairlie. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me that while we work to educate boys in schools it is very important that there are programmes like Bold Girls Ken in my constituency who are working across campuses to tackle gender-based violence through an understanding of what consent means, but also that this is a much wider societal issue that needs society-wide solutions and, in particular, from men taking their responsibility in seriously calling out male behaviours that lead to violence against women and girls? I agree with the member, and I welcome his contribution. It is absolutely vital that men call out instances when they see misogyny and male behaviours that could lead to violence against women and girls. I spoke in my statement last week about our teachers highlighting the toxic impact of certain social media figures in influencing young boys and promoting intolerance of women, and I think that all of us in the chamber would be concerned by that. While education has absolutely essential parts to play in teaching our children and young people about gender equality, much like behaviour, it cannot do so in isolation, we need wider societies to play its part in supporting our efforts to eradicate violence against women and girls. Does the cabinet secretary agree with me and the zero tolerance charity that greater bureaucracy or Government directives or indeed national frameworks are not what is required to tackle the issue, but action? For her question, I have seen some of the response from zero tolerance to the BISR research, and I would be very keen to engage with them directly on this issue. I think that it is important to say that through the action plan we are working with various organisations, and I want to work with zero tolerance on this matter to ensure that we get this right. She talks about action, of course. I think that it is worth remembering, and I put that on the record last week in the statement to Parliament. The Government does not directly run our schools, so there are responsibilities here for our local authorities. We need to see consistency in responding to this issue. I think that that is why the framework is quite helpful, but to Ms McNeill's point, we need to see practical action, so I am more than happy to engage with Education Scotland on how we might be able to deliver that in our schools when we make the difference. Building on what the cabinet secretary said already, does the Government agree with me that, as well as men speaking with boys about gender justice and gender-based violence in school settings and teachers speaking in school settings, we need all men who are in positions of leadership engaging with boys, whether that is in youth clubs or in sports clubs, to engage on this issue so that, together, we can tackle gender-based violence in Scotland? I think that the member makes a very important point. As I mentioned in my previous answer, we need that societal approach to eradicating violence against women and girls, and public support for men in positions of power. I should say that positions of public life are really important. I know that the First Minister has taken a key role in tackling the problem of toxic masculinity, and I hope that every man in this chamber would look to do the same. I wonder what we are teaching our boys when you look at the research on the NASUWT union that says that almost a fifth of female teachers in Scotland's schools are being assaulted several times a week by pupils. What are we teaching our boys when their behaviour in respect to female teachers meets with no sanctions and no consequences? That is not right, is it? I think that the member makes an important point. We talked yesterday in my meeting with the trade unions about having that consistent approach to behaviour that is not acceptable, and I think that we need to set that out at national level. The member is absolutely correct to talk about consequences. That was a key theme that came from the research. What we also saw in the research—I should say, Presiding Officer—are various approaches in relation to the implementation of behaviour management policies, an attention between promoting positive behaviour and where we need to see consequences. I accept, as a former teacher, that we need a role for responsibilities in our classroom. I think that he is absolutely correct to highlight the link here with Misogyny 2, as I intimated in my response to previous members who will set out the framework in that respect in the coming weeks, I hope, before the end of the year. However, that challenge is not going away. We need to have more of a balance in relation to behaviour in our schools, and I hope that the member hears from me my commitment to come back in relation to that national plan to set out exactly our expectations at a national level. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out regarding any impact of UK immigration policies on universities in Scotland. The UK Government's latest attacks on immigration could have a devastating impact on our universities and risks. The economic, social and cultural contribution that international students make not only to campuses but to Scotland. We want to attract more people to live, work and study here, not fewer. The simple fact is that, with independence, we can devise a principled approach to migration that delivers for our economy, our public services and our universities. Last time we published plans for a new Scottish Corrections visa post independence, which would allow international students to live and work in Scotland for five years after their studies and could lead to Scottish citizenship. I thank the minister for his answer. A recent meeting with the University of Stirling, which is based on my constituency, one of the issues that were discussed was the potential impact of the policy that was recently introduced by the UK Government, which restricts many international students from bringing their dependents. There are real concerns that, without the ability to bring their families, many overseas students will choose to go elsewhere. Does the minister agree with me that hostile immigration policies have the ability to harm the international standing of universities and that the UK Government should devolve immigration powers to the Scottish Parliament, notwithstanding the complete silence and the MSP benches from the Tories in this Parliament, to ensure that Scotland remains an open and welcoming destination for international students, where their contribution to the economy and the social and cultural diversity of our country is very much welcomed? The UK Government's latest doubling down on the hostile environment means that, not only could we see fewer international students studying in Scotland, it could also make it harder for our universities to attract international staff. The changes relating to dependents are particularly pernicious. Evidence shows that the ability to bring family members to Scotland encourages migrants to stay long-term, and the additional controls mean that families risk being torn apart by the most restrictive family reunion policy of any high-income country in the world. That approach runs contrary to the one that we should have, which is to welcome people who are making Scotland their home, and to choose to live, work or study here. In discussing the student make-up of universities' data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, it shows that the number of Scottish students studying in England has risen by about 11 per cent. Harriet Wat figures suggest that retaining those 2,000 students would keep about £19 million in Scotland. What is the Scottish Government doing to review its arbitrary cap on students attending our universities? What an act of deflection that was. Seriously, we are dealing with an issue that is actively impacting our students through the immigration policies of the UK Government, and I will take no lectures for the Tory party on that. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reports of Aberdeenshire secondary school parent councils calling for changes to the teacher induction scheme. We recognise that there is a challenge around the recruitment of teachers in certain areas of Scotland and in certain subjects. The Government is considering what immediate improvements can be made to the allocation of probationers on the teacher induction scheme, which will take up placements in August 2024, particularly those who have opted for the preference waiver scheme. The strategic board for teacher education is also undertaking work to ensure that we have the right number of teachers in the right places with the right expertise. With regard to the north-east in particular, I met with Aberdeenshire councillors and the director of education yesterday to discuss their concerns about recruitment and probationary allocation in the north-east. I am glad that the cabinet secretary found the time to meet with Aberdeenshire council yesterday, and they look forward to her returning in the new year to further explore solutions and meet with some of the parents who wrote. Aberdeenshire only received 12 of the 66 secondary probationary teachers they requested and remained chronically short. Local authorities are now worried about the teacher's census and that they will be unfairly penalised for staff shortages. Will the cabinet secretary answer what she would not answer yesterday and confirm that local authorities will not be punished for her poor performance? I thank the member for his question. I think that he suggested that Aberdeenshire had been allocated 12 probationers. As far as I understand it, it was 18, however I will check that with my officials. There were a number of key areas that came from the meeting yesterday, which I did find extremely helpful in relation to the challenges that Aberdeenshire in particular is facing. One of the challenges, of course, the member will accept that some probationers are not taking the box to choose Aberdeenshire council as a local authority. That is part of the challenge that we face post Covid, because we know that probationary teachers are now less likely to move to rural parts of Scotland than they were before the pandemic. However, there are a number of short-term actions that we will be taking on the back of yesterday's meeting, which include reviewing the TIS approach and a short-term approach that will look at how we can introduce measures to ensure that more people who do tick the preference waiver box are sent to more rural locations such as Aberdeenshire. We are also going to engage directly with the GTCS on this, who, of course, administered the TIS scheme and to that end in the meeting with—well, I can hear the member crunching, but if the member would respect, I am trying to answer his question. Minister, can you resume your seat? Mr Burnett, you have asked the question. You are going to listen to the response, and not heck all the way through it, but minister, you are going to have to conclude your response. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I am sure that Conservatives want to support good behaviour in the chamber, given their views on that matter. The Scottish Government, of course, will look to work with the GTCS, and that is why, in my meeting with Aberdeenshire Council, I said to the elective members and the director of education that I will visit Aberdeenshire in the new year, along with the chief executive of the GTCS, to work with them on this challenge. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to support student mental health and wellbeing. Mr Graham Day. Over four academic years from 2019-22-23 as part of our programme for government commitment, we supported institutions to introduce more than 80 additional councils to help their students with a total investment of almost £16 million. That commitment was successfully delivered and concluded. In addition, for this academic year, the Scottish Government confirmed a further standalone investment of £3.21 million to support the important and necessary transition to a future position where student mental health and wellbeing is fully embedded as a shared commitment between institutions, the Scottish Government, NHS Scotland and other partners, which meets student needs and integrates with local services. Aspiration and money might be a fine thing, but research from the Mental Health Foundation found that 64 per cent of college students in Scotland had low mental wellbeing. Despite that, the Government has moved the goalposts on their student mental health plan time and time again. The working group last met in December, then the plan was to be published in the spring. It was then still being developed in May, then delayed again in June, and then to be published at some point after the mental health strategy delivery plans, but there is still no sign of it. Do the Scottish Government still plan to deliver a student mental health plan? If so, when? We will be consulting with members of the student mental health and wellbeing working group on the student mental health plan very shortly. In a recent Mental Health Foundation Scotland survey, 54 per cent of college students reported to have moderately severe symptoms of depression. In another survey, 92 per cent of students experienced loneliness at some point during their time at Scottish universities. With more than half of Scottish students reported to have experienced depression and over nine in 10 experienced loneliness, does the minister accept that the steps being taken by the Scottish Government to support student mental health and wellbeing are failing? I do not use that. That is a misrepresentation of the situation. There is a societal problem in this space. It is not simply characterised in universities and colleges, but what we are doing and what we have been doing is working very close through the institutions to develop the plan, which we will consult upon very shortly. It is important that where students present with significant issues, there are clear pathways to allow them to access centralised mental health services, and that is what we are working towards. 7. Was not lodged. 8. Was drawn. That concludes portfolio questions on education and skills. There will be a brief pause before we move to the next item of business to allow front benches to change.