 The next item of business is a member's debate on motion 2327, in the name of Liz Smith, on the step physical literacy programme. This debate will be concluded without any questions being put with those members who wish to speak in the debate. Please press their request to speak buttons now. I call on Liz Smith to open the debate. Ms Smith, seven minutes are thereabouts, please. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I'm really delighted to propose this motion. As I do so, I would like to thank all the members who have given me the requisite cross-party support to host today's debate and also to welcome Kenny Logan and his step team to the gallery. Kenny Logan, who has not only become an excellent ambassador for our young people, is being that great star of Scottish Rugby, but who has very bravely, in my opinion, shared his own story of his struggle with dyslexia throughout his school years. Many of you will have heard his very moving interview on Radio Scotland some weeks ago, when he told us about the experience of the stigma of living with an undiagnosed learning disability, and more importantly how this experience led him, in his own words, to be labelled stupid by a teacher, and then to go on and leave school at 15 without ever reaching his full potential. He has spoken passionately about how he would have benefited from a programme such as STEP, and that it has fuelled his determination to ensure that every child has the opportunity to improve their physical literacy. The STEP programme is a bespoke school-based literacy programme aimed at pupils in primaries 4 and 5, helping to develop the children the fundamental skills needed to learn successfully. Physical literacy assesses a child's core physical capabilities and is thus different from general physical education or sport. We know only too well that, for many children, basic learning skills such as sitting still, maintaining concentration or physically following letters when reading is not an automatic task, and an inability to do those things usually means that they are at an immediate disadvantage in the classroom. The STEP programme focuses on tackling this by improving three main skills – balance, eye tracking and co-ordination. Each pupil completes two short exercises focusing on one or more of those skills. It has been shown to have benefits for almost every pupil, but the greatest impact is shown on those in the lower quintile of classroom performance. It is completed twice a day during the school week, overseen by a trained member of staff such as a learning assistant or a teacher with additional needs specialism. The huge advantage is the fact that the STEP programme is highly personalised so that each child enrolled can focus on particular strengths and weaknesses, and that is what makes it unique among other physical literacy programmes. The accompanying software platform can be delivered online, and the software used generates exercises specifically for an individual pupil based on their previous day's performance. Because that programme is personalised, pupils do not have to compete against each other, but they are made aware of the daily improvements that they are making themselves. As members know, the programme has already been successfully used in both England and the United States, and it has been empirically evidenced to reduce the attainment gap in primary school pupils. Pupils who have completed STEP have shown significant improvements academically, behaviourally, physically and socially. A UK pilot last year compared more than 100 below attainment primary school pupils who were on the STEP programme to a group in the same attainment level who were not. The improved learning outcomes that the study showed are extremely impressive. 86 per cent of pupils on the programme moved to on or above the target in reading compared to 56 per cent in the non-STEP group. 70 per cent of pupils met the targets for mass compared to 30 per cent for the non-STEP group, while 75 per cent and 62 per cent were on or above target for English comprehension and spelling respectively, compared to 43 per cent and 30 per cent of the non-STEP group. In Mississippi, in the USA, more than 1,000 pupils completed the programme over the past three years. It is no coincidence at all that it was in this state that the US had significant improvement in fourth grade, the equivalent of primary six, in reading and maths. Something resulted in Mississippi being awarded a commendation for educational innovation. John Muir, the Mississippi House of Representatives, said of STEP, and I quote that it was one of the missing components that we have been searching for for many years in the dynamic to assist struggling students to get the training that they need. STEP, he said, has made an extraordinary difference. In addition to improvements in academic results, pupils on the programme have shown significant and marked improvement in emotional control, behaviour, balance, concentration, ordination, attention and wellbeing. 94 per cent of pupils said that they found their school work much easier and believed that they now had the ability to achieve its school. Furthermore, while certainly not intended to replace PE lessons, pupils on STEP also benefited from an extra hundred minutes of physical activity per week, and therefore this complements other physical initiatives, the Daily Mile included. The First Minister, as we know, has stated that education, and specifically the reduction in the attainment gap is her top priority, and that we should judge her on her record on that. Although some of us in this chamber may disagree about the details of the disbursement of the attainment fund, narrowing the attainment gap and boosting pupil performance is something about which we all agree and which we all want to put above party politics. The First Minister has stated in this chamber on numerous occasions that she is open to suggestions on ways to reduce the attainment gap, so I very much hope that this is one which she and John Swinney will consider. Indeed, we are absolutely delighted to hear that the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills has agreed to meet with STEP directors to discuss the programme later in the month. As the Cabinet Secretary has himself remarked, the recent released PISA figures made for uncomfortable reading. STEP is a programme that could help us to make great strides towards boosting numeracy and literacy among the weakest 20 per cent of pupils. We already know that some Scottish councils are taking a very strong interest in STEP, and we have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending others to do so, too. How good it would be to see the Cabinet Secretary commit to a significant pilot study of Scottish pupils in primaries 4 and 5, beginning in the autumn of 2017. I know from my own teacher training days what the devastating impact can be for life if children are written off simply because of a misdiagnosis of their problems. I can empathise wholly with the experiences of Kenny Logan and so we wish him and his team every success in their endeavours and thank them for the work that they are doing to improve opportunities for all children and to make a real step change in Scottish education. I have great pleasure in moving the motion in my name. I call Fulton MacGregor to be followed by Brian Whittle. Mr MacGregor, please. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and thanks to Liz Smith for bringing this debate to the chamber. I would also like to welcome Kenny Logan and his team to the gallery as well. It is fitting for me in some ways to speak in this debate as the last member's debate that I brought forward to the chamber just at the end of last year was actually highlighting the year of walking and the benefits that physical exercise can have on a number of health outcomes. I know that Brian Whittle also spoke in that debate. The Scottish Government is committed to increasing the physical activity for young people, 200,000 primary-age children now take part in the daily mile initiative, as was mentioned by Liz Smith, and that is right across Scotland. That is also in line with the curriculum for excellence agenda, which places emphasis on sport and PE as key elements of learning. I always think that those types of debates offer a good opportunity to talk about the great work that goes on across the constituency. When I decided to speak in tonight's debate, my office contacted four of the local primary schools to find out if they were doing anything like step or the daily mile and how they found it. I am pleased to say that all four that we contacted are doing the daily mile and find an extremely beneficial part of the curriculum. For example, Greenhill primary school is involved in the national walk to school week. In addition to having a play leader scheme to promote physical activity in the playground, they also work in partnership with Albin Rovers football club and the parent for action safe play, the latter who are carrying out an eight-week programme with the primary tools in the near future. St Pat's primary school, nearby, is a school that I visited recently, and I am pleased to say that it was the school that I attended my first assembly as an MSP. As part of the daily mile each week, the children there walk or run around in Beth Park, which was the park that was mentioned in my recent members' debate, and now has a designated one mile walk route through the work and initiative of new college, Lamontshire Students Association. They also have a health week every June, where local sports groups come into the school and discuss healthy eating, fitness and exercise, and that includes the Bannan Fitness Club and dance groups. Most schools, it would be fair to say, have a similar ethos and promote exercise and health through a number of means, including their after-school clubs and the like. The other two schools that I contacted specifically for today's purposes, Christon primary and Carranbro primary, both do the daily mile and have other activities, such as running the active schools course through the local authority. Carranbro primary, as it happens, is where two of my young nephews attend, so I always think that there is nothing better than asking the pupils to direct what they think. Just about an hour and a half ago, when they get in from school, I phoned them both and asked them what they thought. A simple question, what did they do, the royal mile? The royal mile, I cannot say that. The daily mile at school and what they thought of it. My oldest nephew, Braden, said that it is good, because it keeps us out of school. I run around the school eight times and it makes me feel good. My younger nephew, Flynn, said that it is good. I get to run around the school with my class and it keeps me fit. Two good qualifications for the daily mile. The daily mile is free, and therefore it is inclusive. That can be important in areas of deprivation, such as some of the schools mentioned by the schools. That said, Liz Smith has talked at length about the step programme and it sounds very impressive, as are other initiatives. Those initiatives should not be in competition with each other, and I do not believe that they are. I think that every school should be able to make the decision of what initiative best meets their needs for the young people they have and the area that they serve. I believe fully that head teachers are and do make those decisions every day. At the end of the day, to sum up, the most important thing for me is that children in our schools are offered an opportunity to be involved in regular exercise, as we know that that improves a whole range of outcomes for them. I congratulate my colleague Liz Smith on bringing this motion to the Parliament. She knows that I am passionate about it and it is nice to see Kenny and his team in the gallery. When I was in primary 4 in my school days, we played football at every opportunity with a tennis ball, because that is all that we were allowed to play with. One primary 4 against the other, 30th side for a week before resetting the score. The game started at 8.30 am every day, and children were dragging their parents out to get them to school to get to the game. The P5s, P6s and P7s were doing the same. Chris crossing the playground at full pelt. It was playing football in Suckeyhall Street on Saturday. I sens all the health and safety officers passing out, but nobody got mashed or killed. I played a goal for the school in the enter schools tournament. I have to say that it was a football career that was tragically cut short through a severe lack of talent, but we had British Bulldogs. Do we remember that? The school sports day was a big deal in those days. All the school turned out that parents in their droves, for weeks before we were practising in the playground, we would get home and practice some more, or put the jumpers down for gold posts or race each other on our bikes. That is where I discovered what I could put one foot in front of the other faster than most, and I joined a running club. We were so excited about going to secondary school because we would get to play rugby. The thing is, by the time we got there, we already had hand-eye co-ordination and movement skills, agility, speed and basic fitness. In other words, we had a good grounding in physical literacy. Much as I may lament the fact that it is not my day anymore and that times have moved on, physical literacy and activity remains as important now to the development of our children as it has ever been. The kind of activity that I was describing has all but disappeared. We even have some schools reporting that running in the playground is banned in case the pupils bump into each other. Competitive sport has somehow been eliminated in some quarters, which might be the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard. In other words, in the interest of progress, inactivity has now become the norm. Our kids are more likely to be inactive, more likely to have weight issues, more likely to have poor mental health problems and less likely to take part in sport, especially in less affluent areas. Lack of leadership and opportunity is setting them up for a life of inactivity and potentially unhealthy lifestyle. I used to chair the Scottish Coaches Association and I am a member of the European Coaches Association. I often hear coaches saying that kids today are not likely to be, and this is undoubtedly true. Although we recognise that we cannot set the clock back, we must endeavour to ensure that physical literacy pathways are as an integral part of a child's education as reading and writing. As it is widely recognised, there is an intrinsic correlation between physical literacy and academic achievement, not to mention positively affecting behavioural patterns in the classroom. We cannot go back, but to go forward, we must find a delivery framework for the physical literacy education of our children, which is universally accessible but also specific to the individual. The STEP programme is tried and tested with measured physical, emotional and academic outcomes, especially in the lower percentiles. It speaks directly to balancing, co-ordination, eye-tracking and proprioception, and just as important, it is simple to deliver in time efficient. That is not as mentioning delivering inclusivity, increased opportunity, self-awareness and achievement, confidence, aspiration and self-belief, all eminently transferable skills. The attainment gap, health inequality and inequality of opportunity are birds' words that are often heard in this chamber. The reality is that we are as far from tackling these issues as we ever were. In fact, despite the genuine will across this chamber and investment from all parties across the years, the gap continues to grow. Let us be brave. Do something different, because unless we are prepared to accept the issue of declining physical literacy and activity in our children and the impact that this has on their potential achievement and long-term health, those issues cannot be resolved. Deputy Presiding Officer, in conclusion, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. The STEP programme is successful, available and ready to roll out in our schools. Let us at least trial it and give our children, irrespective of background and personal circumstance, the opportunity to have an active, healthy lifestyle. Thank you very much, Mr Whittle. I got exhausted listening to your energy there as well. I call Daniel Johnson to be followed by Oliver Mundell. Mr Johnson, please. Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. First of all, let me add my welcome to Liz Smith for bringing this debate to this chamber. I think that it is very important. I think that she put it very well at the beginning. I think that it is vital. If we are serious about tackling the attainment gap, about proving education for all, it is vital that we broaden and deepen our understanding of what education is, what it contains and what it is for. Indeed, when I was preparing for this debate, I have to say that I was a little bit put off by the definition of physical literacy, mastering the core physical skills of balance, co-ordination and eye-tracking through personalised exercise. I say that because anyone who has watched me play tennis will immediately know that I know very little about many of those things. Although, in all seriousness, listening to the Kenny Logan story has echoes for me, because at the age of 35, I received a diagnosis as having ADHD. I am looking at the contents of the step programme. I recognise the benefits that a programme like that could have for somebody like me, rather than the frustrations that I had with much of my education. As we look at the debate, I think that it is vitally important that we introduce, in a renewed way, the idea of physicality into our education system. It is vital that we understand that there is a direct link between physical understanding, learning, knowledge and ability, and educational ability. Overall, and specifically, there are also key benefits for people who have conditions such as ADHD and dyslexia. The step programme is very interesting, as Liz Smith outlined, a tailored programme that specifically looks at key elements of physical understanding and capability. More importantly than that, some of the findings in the report that impressed me was the sense of achievement and changes in attitude that it brought. I think that we all know, and we have all discussed at many times, how important those things are for attainment in schools. Indeed, that has been delivered through a programme that has twice-daily exercises of 10 minutes. We need to look at that. We need to improve our understanding as the physical is being part of our education, because, as Brian Whittle has just outlined, we live in a physical world. Our ability to engage with our daily lives is vital that we have that physical understanding and capability. Indeed, we have lifestyles that are increasingly sedentary, occupations that increasingly put us behind desks. A programme such as that, I can see how it can change habits and form behaviours and norms for the rest of people's lives. Broadly, if people are to have truly fulfilled lives, if we are serious about wellbeing as being one of the key objectives for education, I think that the importance of physical literacy is all too clear. Indeed, there are other examples such as forest schools in our schools. Also, there was a very interesting recent report about the improvements on mental health that just being involved in scouts can have. I think that we need to look at all of those things in the round as we consider what our education system should and shouldn't do. Perhaps most impressively what the step programme achieves is around academic improvement and attainment. 76 per cent improvements in English, 70 per cent improvements in maths, improvements in reading and spelling. I think that it is very clear that the benefits that physical literacy can bring to academic attainment. However, there is also the clear bottom-line improvements in health. We all know the importance of tackling childhood obesity, and I think that Brian Whittle outlined that very well. Finally, I would like to briefly mention ADHD and dyslexia. We are at the beginning of a complete revolution in understanding how the brain works and how neural pathways are altered and formed. Indeed, the notion that the brain is a static thing once you reach adulthood is not true. Exercise is proven to improve and promote neuron growth. There is a growing body of evidence about the link between spatial awareness, physical ability and dyslexia. Likewise, the improvements that exercises such as these can have for people with ADHD in terms of proving focus and concentration are very clear. Those are both linked to training the mind to concentrate but also the impacts on brain chemistry. I commend the bringing forward this debate. I thank the opportunity to talk about those issues. Thank you very much, Mr Johnson. Oliver Mundell will be followed by Elaine Smith, the last speaker in the open debate. I would like to begin by joining colleagues in commending Liz Smith on securing the time for this important debate. It is an issue that I know that she is rightly very passionate about. As someone who has struggled with both dyspraxia and dyslexia, I know all too well some of the challenges that young people and their families face. And how often those additional learning needs mean that those individuals find themselves as the victims of the attainment gap. I can also empathise with many of the remarks Kenny Logan has made in relation to his own experiences. I would also like to personally thank him for the time and energy and commitment that he has shown to this cause, because it really does make a difference to young people to have a successful role model and to see those from outside politics bringing forward ideas such as this. From speaking to my constituents, particularly at a time when learning support resources are under strain, it is clear to me that many highly capable children are being denied the support that they need to fulfil their potential, and it is not good enough. I hope that we can all recognise that something needs to change, and I believe that we will be missing a major opportunity not just to support those with specific learning difficulties, but all those who are struggling with numeracy and literacy if we do not take advantage of the STEP programme. I was very lucky in the support that I received from a great many people, particularly during my time at Moffat academy, and while the list is too long to name everyone, I have no doubt whatsoever that I would not be making this speech, never mind what I have made it to university if it had not been for Douglas Lipton, Lillias Nicolle, Donald Hastings or my first classroom assistant, Mrs Rowley, all dedicated individuals who went above and beyond and who were always looking for new ideas to help me learn. I was also very lucky to have determined parents who were not willing to take no for an answer and who were not willing to accept that at my first parents evening that the reason that none of my work was on display with the rest of my class was because I was too slow or too lazy. However, the problem is that not everyone is so fortunate. Not all teachers, support staff and schools are as well equipped and as results in people's experience show far too many children are being left behind. It is also from my own experiences that I have come across physical literacy and seen its benefits first hand. I remember sitting at the STEP programme launch last year and recognising many of the exercises that feature in their video explaining their work. The beauty and what makes STEP so important is not just that it brings together a whole range of exercises and activities and combines them into a coherent and measurable programme, but rather than having to go out and search for them, all the exercises are immediately available from a single source and are tailored to the individual needs and the level of ability of the child. What is more is that it has been shown to work and is popular with both the teachers and pupils who have benefited from it, both in England and the USA. My colleagues have already highlighted much of the evidence of its success and I will refrain from repeating it. However, I must stress that at a time when new ideas are badly needed and we want to improve the use of technology in education in our schools, it is a clear opportunity for action. I hope that the minister will reflect carefully on today's debate and do what she can to enable and encourage schools to take part in the STEP programme and to promote the benefits of physical literacy more generally. I congratulate Liz Smith on securing the debate and I apologise that I was not able to attend the launch of the STEP last year, but unfortunately I was unable to. At the start of the new year, it is fitting that we are discussing education, since a good resolution is to have bolder ambitions for children in Scotland. Members' debates traditionally tend to be less confrontational and it is also prudent not to challenge the minister too much if he hopes to achieve a favourable outcome. However, that does not mean completely letting the Government off the hook. Before I talk further about STEP, we need to consider the background of education in Scotland at the moment. In this month of January, it is also pertinent to quote our national bad burns, who pointed out that facts are tools that win a thing, and one extremely concerning fact is that our education system is currently failing some of our children. Scotland has slipped from sixth in the world to 23rd for reading since 2000, from ninth to 24th in maths since 2003 and in science from 10th to 19th since 2006. I know that we all agree right across the chamber that this is not good enough and that it needs urgent attention and investment to restore our world-class education system to its former success. The attainment gap is a problem for all children, but it is particularly concerning for those with additional support needs. As well, we need to consider the whole school environment and how important that is to learning. We know, for example, that being hungry and thirsty impacts massively on children's ability to learn. That is one reason why I have been a long-time campaigner for free school meals, fruit and water provision in our schools, and we also know that physical literacy can specifically help children with additional needs by improving their concentration and awareness. Alongside that, it helps to improve general health and highlighting the importance of physical activity as part of the learning process for our children. We cannot underestimate the importance of that, particularly given the active healthy kids report card, a study of 38 countries across the world that recently placed Scotland last in physical activity among children. Turning to step, we have already heard that it is a programme of exercises that is performed twice a day for 10 minutes and focuses in particular on balance, eye tracking and co-ordination, aiming to make physical activity part of children's everyday learning. Improving physical literacy is particularly advantageous for children and young people who can find it difficult to concentrate such as those with dyslexia and autism. As the deputy convener of the cross-party group on dyslexia and the mother of a rugby playing dyslexic son, I was particularly pleased to see the step programme as championed by Kenny Logan, the former Scotland international rugby player who is dyslexic, and I welcome Kenny as others have done to the gallery tonight. Step also has the backing of the British Dyslexia Association who supported the findings of the pilot study. It is just worth repeating that 86 per cent of kids who took part in the UK pilot study had improved reading after 12 months, 76 per cent improved English and 70 per cent improved maths. Anything that helps children to learn more efficiently, to socialise more easily and participate more positively both inside and outside the classroom should be worthy of our attention. It would certainly have helped my own son, who happily did get a reasonably early diagnosis and is now at university studying engineering, but I think that getting an early diagnosis and getting the support very much helps with that. In conclusion, I must once again return to the Government's responsibility and address the key barrier to any programme like this, and that, of course, is funding. I think that the Government must be prepared not only to invest more in our education system but also to consider centrally funding programmes like STEP so that schools can take advantage of innovative ways to help all children to learn and grow. At about £1 a day per child, I do not think that that is particularly over the top in terms of expenditure with such good outcomes. Once again, I congratulate Liz Smith and I hope that the programme can be considered across Scotland so that physical literacy becomes a core part of the school day. I thank Liz Smith for raising the motion and bringing it to the chamber today, and I welcome the contributions that have been made. It is always a pleasure to listen to Brian Whittle talk in the chamber particularly on a subject like this, because, as you said, the energy and the passion on that is very clear. My apologies, Presiding Officer. It was also very personate to hear from the MSPs themselves about their personal experiences, Daniel Johnston and Oliver Mundell. I think that I did a great deal to the debate about how they had dealt with their experiences at school and the individuals in their schools who had helped them through that in Oliver Mundell's case and, likewise, for Daniel Johnston for his own experiences. As others have said, it is great to see Kenny Logan and others here in the chamber today, and I am very pleased to have the opportunity to close this debate for the Government on the STEP programme. It is very important when we hear about initiatives like STEP that they can make a contribution to young people and to children realising their full potential. As has been mentioned by others, health and wellbeing is one of the eight curricular areas in the curriculum for excellence with physical education, physical activity and sport being a key component. Health and wellbeing's substantial importance is reflected in its position at the centre of the curriculum and at the heart of children's learning. It is a central focus of the Scottish attainment challenge and the national improvement framework for education. Along with literacy and numeracy, it is one of the three core areas that are the responsibility of all staff within a school. This Government is very clear that creating a culture in which healthy behaviours are the norm must start in the very early years so that children and young people can develop a genuine lifelong habit of activity, activity that has many health, social and economic benefits, which the members have already spoken about. Research shows that it is vitally important that children are active before they reach school age, and that can be through active play, which not only improves co-ordination, but social skills with peers, siblings, parents, grandparents and nursery workers. Once children do reach school age, I am delighted to say that 98 per cent of schools provide their pupils with two hours or two periods of physical education per week, and that compares with less than 10 per cent in 2004-05. I know that Brian Whittle did have a rather despairing picture of the young people of today, but I would point out to him that in 2015, 73 per cent of children did an average of 60 minutes or more of physical activity, including school-based activity, per day. There is hope for our children and young people yet, but we are not complacent, as Brian Whittle and others have said. There is much more that needs to be done, which is why we will continue to support PE provision to maintain and improve the quality of PE and physical activity to ensure that it is inclusive and that this is a position that the Government has within its overarching aims of raising attainment. The daily mile has been mentioned by members, and it was part of the Government's manifesto that Scotland would become the first daily mile nation. Over 800 primary schools across the country have now started their own daily mile programme, adapting that basic idea to meet their own circumstances and needs. It was great to hear of some of the work that is going on in the constituencies, including Fulton MacGregor and the direct feedback from the young people. Certainly, when it comes to my own daughters, I think that they view it as a good opportunity for gossip in the playground, so that certainly encourages them on their daily mile. However, wherever your reasons for enjoying the daily mile, it seems to be going down well within the primary schools and enjoyed by the young people there. It can and does work for many schools, but there are other examples of how physical activity can be embedded into the daily life of a school that can be explored. One example of that is the Better Movers and Thinkers programme, or BMT, an innovative and exciting movement and learning programme that is delivered free by Education Scotland. BMT has raised performance standards and created a step change in the learning and teaching of PE. The BMT approach is completely inclusive as it supports children and young people to identify and achieve their individual physical and cognitive potential. It has been developed from a range of evidence-based fields, including child development, cognitive neuroscience and pedagogy. The BMT approach has a positive effect on all children by encouraging and supporting their engagement in the learning process, regardless of their starting ability or any additional support needs that they might have. Children like BMT is an approach to physical education and using that approach in the gym and in the classroom as prompted teachers to report improvements in concentration and better peer engagements in all aspects of the curriculum. Liz Smith, I am very grateful to the minister for taking intervention, and I think that she is quite right to raise those points. On that specific issue, we were delighted to learn that the cabinet secretary will be meeting the step group at the end of the month. Would the Government commit today to being in a position where the discussion about some of the improvements that you have just named for another very impressive programme? We would do the same thing with the step programme to ensure that, as I say, that the feedback from teachers is very good and that clearly we have some very positive comments that are coming from local authorities that we would have a commitment from the Government to at least examine that in full. As Liz Smith mentioned in her opening speech, the cabinet secretary is due to meet Kenny Logan and others on 25 January to discuss that. I do not want to pre-empt that discussion, certainly not with the cabinet secretary, to make an announcement today. However, the final decision on what approaches are to be used in schools, whether it is a daily mile or other initiatives, rests with the teachers and the local authorities. As members have said, they are very well placed to decide how the curriculum is delivered in that area. However, I am sure that the cabinet secretary will discuss that in much greater detail with Kenny Logan when he meets them at the end of this month. We are aware that the step programme has been promoted for children who have dyslexia, and I want to be clear that, as well as ensuring that our children and young people have an active start in life, the Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people get the support that they need to realise their full potential. To ensure that that happens, the Scottish Government has taken forward a range of actions, including the door and review, the recommendations from the Education and Culture Committee's report on the attainment of pupils with sensory impairment and the mainstream review. For children and young people with dyslexia, education authorities have a duty to identify, meet and review the additional support needs of all their pupils. Education Scotland considers that as part of their inspection programme. To help all teachers to address the needs of their pupils with dyslexia, the Government supported the development of the addressing dyslexia toolkit, which includes material on effectively identifying and supporting pupils, increasing accessibility for teachers and information for education authorities on the implementation of the toolkit. The dyslexia making sense working group supports the delivery of the five work streams, including the toolkit, recommended from the making sense review report published by Education Scotland in 2014. The Government also provides grant funding of £100,000 per year to dyslexia Scotland to assist them with their critical work towards the recommendations of the review report. In addition to their wide range of value and support services across Scotland and their network of volunteer-led branches, provision of such support networks and services will allow every pupil in Scotland to experience the broad general education that they are entitled to under the curriculum for excellence. In summing up, this Government does not doubt the benefits of a programme like step and believes that there are initiatives like that that have a very positive impact on the learning needs of our children and young people. The Deputy First Minister, as I said, will meet with Kenny Logan about the step programme on 25 January. I am sure that we all look forward to finding out about the discussions that they have had and what will follow from that. I thank you very much to Liz Smith again for bringing that to the chamber. I look forward to continuing the debate along with the cabinet secretary at the end of this month.