 The next item of business is portfolio questions. The portfolio on this occasion is education and skills. I invite members who are wishing to ask a supplementary to press their request-to-speak buttons during the relevant question. I call question number one, Sharon Dowey. Thank you. To ask the Scottish Government what clarification on teacher number arrangements will be provided to local authorities this year. Excellent teachers make all the difference in our classrooms. They are vital to ensuring that we make further progress on closing the poverty-related attainment gap, which is why we have invested to ensure that we have the lowest pupil teacher ratio in the UK. We are providing £145.5 million in this year's budget to protect teacher numbers and support staff numbers across local authorities on the condition that the numbers are maintained at 2022 census levels. This data will be available following publication of the summary statistics for schools in Scotland next month. We have been clear with councils that if teacher numbers are not maintained nationally, we have reserved the right to withhold or recoup funding that has been given for this purpose. In recent years, there has been a growing concern about the number of temporary contracts for teachers leading to increased job insecurity within the education sector. Can I ask the cabinet secretary what precisely the Scottish Government has done to end this job insecurity for our hard-working teachers? She raises an important point in relation to temporary contracts. It is worth saying that the number of permanent contracts has remained relatively static since 2007 at about 80 per cent. However, I accept the challenge in relation to the member's point. It is also worthwhile saying that the number of teachers in our schools since 2014 has increased by 8 per cent since December 2014. However, more broadly, in terms of encouraging people into the profession, there is more work that we can do. I have committed to the programme for government to working on a campaign with our professional associations or trade unions to encourage people into teaching as a meaningful and worthwhile career. To the member's point, in relation to insecurity, employment responsibility sits with local authorities. However, I attended Addis's national conference this morning, and the issue of recruitment came up. I have asked a number of different experts to give me advice in relation to our education workforce modelling analysis, which is an external piece of work that I have commissioned to help us to inform decisions on education workforce planning in future years. I hope that it will very much address the member's point in relation to job insecurity. However, it is worthwhile saying that the picture has not markedly changed since 2007. I have got a number of supplementaries. I will try to get them all in, but they will need to be brief as will be the responses. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Having the best pupil-teacher ratio in the UK is certainly vital for providing an excellent education to our children and closing the attainment gap. Can the cabinet secretary sit out what additional support the Scottish Government provides to local authorities to tackle the attainment gap and deliver the highest possible quality of education for our children? I thank the member for his question. There are a number of different support that we give to local authorities directly. As the member alluded to, we have the lowest pupil-teacher ratio in the whole of the UK. In Scotland, we invest more per pupil. Additionally, in schools and in other parts of the UK, we are investing £1 billion in the Scottish attainment challenge over this parliamentary term to help to close the poverty-related attainment gap. We are also providing free school meals to over 280,000 pupils in primaries 1 to 5 and in special schools. We have provided funding for additional digital devices and internet connections and a number of different parts of the school estate. We have lifted the national minimum school clothing grant to £120 and £150 for primary and secondary school pupils. All of that helps to support excellent education for all of our young people. In some geographical and subject areas, including in STEM, there are shortages of teachers. The teaching bursary scheme to attract career changers is key to addressing those shortages and spreading opportunity. Since it was introduced in 2018, the number of people in receipt of it has decreased from 180 to only 84 in 2022. Can the cabinet secretary confirm whether applications for the bursary have decreased or has the Government chosen to cap the numbers of bursaries issued? I thank the member for her question. I do not have the specific answer to her question in front of me, but I am more than happy to write to the member. She is absolutely right to say that there will be provide additional investment in relation to the STEM bursary, which this year, for the first time, has also looked to support Gaelic medium education, which is also a focus for the Government moving forward. This week I was contacted by yet another teacher who gave up a life and industry, a career and industry, to take up teaching. She has been told just this week that there is no permanent contract available for her, despite meeting all the criteria. The minister talked about the new modelling mechanism that she is looking at, but we have had mechanisms for years. What I do not understand is why we have gone and saw a kilter between the supply and demand. I thank the member for his question. I am not aware of which local authority he alludes to. I think that one of the challenges here is that we have 32 different approaches to teacher recruitment across the country, with varying approaches to how probationers enter the system. I know that from past experience. I know that the local authority that he and I represent has a genetic approach to teaching interviews, and sometimes that can be challenging for people who want to enter the profession, particularly in Fife, in the middle of the academic year, as we currently are. I am more than happy to look at the specifics in his case. Of course, it is a matter that local authority employ our teachers directly. That is why we have ring-fenced that additional £145 million to help to protect teacher numbers. I think that that is hugely important. It is a sign of investment from this Government, but ultimately it is our local authority's employer teacher, so I will continue to work with it through the workforce plan that I talked to to help to improve the situation. Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the Scottish Government what action is taken to increase the number of probationer teachers choosing a preference waiver scheme. The preference waiver payment is an important component of the teacher induction scheme, providing a financial incentive for probationer teachers to consider undertaking their probation year anywhere in Scotland. Information provided to prospective probationer teachers clearly outlines all the options available to them, including the benefits of opting for the preference waiver programme. In addition, the strategic war for teacher education, which is made up of a range of different key education stakeholders, is currently looking at issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland, including the consideration of issues around the early phase of a teacher's career. The figures released just last month show that only 6.8 per cent of probationers opted to choose the preference waiver scheme. Furthermore, local authorities across Scotland received 657 fewer probationer teachers than we had requested, with rural areas particularly affected by that. That clearly is an unstable situation. What action is the cabinet secretary taking to ensure that the initiatives and uptake of the preference waiver scheme is improved so that next year a higher number of probationers opt to take up the offer? The member for his question, I should probably declare an interest. As I benefited myself from the preference waiver payment back in 2009, I went to Murray as a probationer teacher. The waiver payment is set at £6,000 for primary and £8,000 for secondary currently, and it very much encourages, as I alluded to in my initial response to the member, teachers to consider going anywhere. We know that there are certain parts of Scotland where there are challenges in relation to teacher recruitment, and I think that the preference waiver scheme helps with that. However, the member is right. There seems to have been a shift in relation to the willingness from some of our student teachers to tick the box to go anywhere, and that is problematic because the scheme is not as popular as it once was. I held a round table with a number of probationers to this very issue a few weeks ago now, and I heard from them a reticence to move around the country in a way that perhaps did not exist prior to the pandemic. There are challenges not just in the education system, I should say, in relation to this issue. It happens in the NHS, it happens in justice, I know, so this is not unique to education. I set out some of the action in my response to another member on the previous question through the strategic board for teacher education. That will be working with the GTCS Education Scotland, the Scottish Council of Deans of Education. Thank you, cabinet secretary. I am going to have to move on to supplementary questions. Jim Fairlie. Can I ask the cabinet secretary how the Scottish Government can continue to promote the teaching profession as a rewarding and valued career, particularly in rural communities such as Miner, Pearshire, Silesian and Gwnorosia? We value our teachers highly, through the recent 14 per cent pay deal, and our classroom teachers are the highest paid in the UK. We are also supporting councils with that additional £145 million that I mentioned in response to Mr Rennie. As part of investing in our schools programme for government, we have a commitment to support our teaching profession by working with our partners on a joint campaign to promote teaching. As I have said, the preference waiver payment that Mr Balfour mentioned is a really important part of that, giving financial incentives for probationary teachers to consider undertaking their probation year in remote and rural areas where the need is greatest. In briefly, Katie Clark. Probationary teachers often do not feel sufficiently incentivised to move to other parts of Scotland to teach and are also being put off by precarious contracts. Does the Scottish Government intend to set out in guidance that local authorities should seek to eliminate the use of zero-hours and fixed-term contracts, given that we know that continuity of teaching is very much in pupils' interests too? I thank the member for her question. I go back to the point that around about 80 per cent of our jobs and teaching are permanent posts. In terms of the member's question in relation to fixed-term contracts, some of those contracts arise when people go on maternity leave, so we should be mindful of that. Local authorities are ultimately the employer, but I have committed through the work with the strategic board for teacher education and that work with COSLA to see what more we might be able to do to improve the situation. Presiding Officer, to ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether schools should publish monthly reports on any reported incidents of abuse of unviolent behaviour. Our national guidance makes clear that all schools and local authorities are expected to record all incidents of violent behaviour. Recording and monitoring plays an essential role in helping schools in identifying recurring patterns of behaviour and in ensuring early intervention and appropriate support. Members are aware that September's summit on relationships and behaviour in schools focused on recording and monitoring incidents, and my aim from the summit process is to identify practical actions that we need to take to make progress, including to create a culture where staff are empowered to record incidents. Local data must then be used to ensure that schools both have an oversight of issues and are responding effectively. Presiding Officer, we fairly go by a week where we see through the media another report of another school where behaviour has basically broken down. I appreciate that the cabinet secretary has held two summits and intends to hold another summit, but can she indicate when she will actually bring forward something to this parliament that says this is the outcome of these summits, this is the action that we intend to take and are you going to put the resources in to go with that action? I thank the member for his question. I know that he takes a keen interest in this matter. I have done so, of course, since it was first raised in the chamber, not long after my own appointment. The point that he makes about action is going to be addressed in a statement that I intend to bring to the Parliament, Presiding Officer, in the next two weeks. Of course, that statement will talk to the accurate national picture. It is important for the chamber to remember, Presiding Officer, that we have not carried out research on behaviour in Scottish schools since 2016. That is because the last round of data was in 2016. There should have been a round of data in 2020, but obviously due to the pandemic, that was not possible. Publishing that accurate national picture is hugely important, and I intend to come to the chamber with an identified action plan for how we can help local authorities in improving the current situation. As we mark anti-bullying week, I ask the cabinet secretary what guidance the Scottish Government provides to help schools to tackle bullying. Our national anti-bullying guidance respect for all provides an overarching framework for all adults working with children and young people to address all types of bullying. We have also published guidance for schools and local authorities on recording and monitoring bullying incidents, and we are currently undertaking a review of respect for all supported by a working group of key stakeholders. The planning is under way to engage your parents, carers, children and young people as part of that review, and the updated guidance is expected to be published next year. Alex Rowley asked a really spot-on question and got no answer. There is still no action plan to tackle incidents of abusive and violent behaviour and no guidance for school staff. Cabinet Secretary, when will there be? I have to say, I do not think that Mr Kerr was paying attention because I was quite clear in my response to Mr Rowley that I will bring a statement to the Parliament identifying action from this Government, recognising of course that the statutory responsibility for responding to bullying incidents rests with our local authorities. To ask the Scottish Government in relation to its planning for skills and training provision, what information it has on the skills needs of Scotland's economy and specific vocations over the next five years? I apologise to the chamber that, with your agreement, I will have to weave following this question. The Scottish Government has committed through our purpose and principles for post-school education research and skills to take responsibility for skills planning and development approach at the national level that sees us work with partners to set clear priorities. I am clear that, if we are to deliver the change that is required, we need the clearest possible understanding of what Scotland's skills needs are and will be in the future and how we will meet them. Skills Development Scotland regularly publish information on regional and sectoral skills demands, and that is available on the website. However, we will seek to build on the extensive work that they have done through further detailed interaction with employers, colleges and universities. I thank the minister for that very welcome answer. As he knows, major employment sectors across the economy, including health, construction, engineering and many others, are important significant skills shortages. Can I ask what process the Government is putting in place to quantitatively assess those needs and then align skills provisioning in the further and higher education systems to address them? As I mentioned, my initial response to the Government is working with partners in developing an approach to take responsibility for skills planning to improve the alignment and responsiveness of the provision. There is an on-going discussion within Government across our agencies, but every bit important to the process will be my further engagement with employers in the coming weeks and, of course, input from colleges and universities. In relation to the specific areas that the member has noted, there is work, for example, going on involving the NHS Youth Academy, NMIS Manufacturing Skills Academy and the Construction Weedership Forum. However, to summarise, we are aiming to build on the foundations already in place by gathering the clearest possible skills-need data to best inform course offerings, qualifications, training and up-skilling opportunities so that we can fully grasp the economic opportunities ahead. Evidence to the Economy and Fair Work Committee details a significant skills gap across all sectors to deliver a just transition that is much highlighted by the Scottish Government. Can I ask the cabinet secretary if the Scottish Government did a skills mapping exercise prior to setting our climate change targets and what it is doing to deliver the green economy opportunities to our school pupils, especially in STEM for women? That is quite a detailed question, but, in a general sense, as I indicated earlier, we are currently engaged with ministerial colleagues right across Government to map the skills shortages, but I stress skills shortages. There is a difference between skills shortages and workforce availability, and that is what we are trying to differentiate. I will be happy to write to Brian Whittle in more detail in due course. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it last met with Fife Council education officials and what was discussed. Education Scotland officials meet regularly with Fife Council, specifically the senior regional adviser or SRA for the south-east region, and Fife's attainment adviser directly engaged with the local authority. The focus is consistently on support for improved outcomes for Fife's children and young people. The SRA met with two of the heads of service on 27 October this year, and discussions included an update on progress with stretch aims, improving attendance and strategies to raise attainment. The AA met with a number of education officials on 8 November, and discussions included youth of both strategic equity fund and the people equity fund to promote equity. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer and indeed welcome the regular dialogue that is evidently taking place. The cabinet secretary will be aware, as a five MSP, of the recent tragedies involving young people in my cowdenbeath constituency. While investigations are still on-going, drugs are in fact suspected. Can the cabinet secretary confirm that updated guidance will be issued to schools in Fife and across Scotland to help young people to stand up to the drug pushers, who so blight our communities with the scourge of drugs and destroy young lives? I thank the member for her question. I am aware of the case that she alluded to, and whilst it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the specifics of that case, I want to offer my condolences to the families involved. Learning about substance abuse from S1 and Upwards supports our young people to develop a range of skills, and that can help to support decision making about substance use. That includes strategies for making informed choices to maintain and improve young people's health and wellbeing and the ability to apply those and situations that might be stressful or challenging or involve peer pressure. It is, of course, for education authorities and schools to consider the resources and approaches that they use in supporting our children and young people in services that are learning with curriculum for excellence. No information has already been provided to parents in local schools following some of those tragic incidents that the member has alluded to, and that work is on going to consider what further steps can be taken to support children and young people's learning around substance abuse, such as through personal and social education. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help the schools to support children who wish to pursue careers in the cultural and arts sector. Expressive arts education in schools plays an important role in supporting young people to enter Scotland's creative industries and positively impacts on our young people's wellbeing. We remain committed to helping schools to support young people into careers in the culture and arts sectors. For example, the national career information and advice website My World of Work has a range of resources and tools to support the exploration of occupations in different sectors, including in the culture and arts sector. Furthermore, developing the young workforce, which is employer-led, also promotes a range of culture-based education and career pathways through their network of dedicated school coordinators and by hosting careers events with employers and the creative industries. Thank the cabinet secretary for that answer. Yesterday, the cabinet secretary for constitution external affairs and culture announced funding of £6.8 million for the cultural sector in 2023-24. I welcome this news. However, long term and sustained funding for courses and qualifications must come hand in hand with this to ensure that the cultural sector has the skills and the talent it needs. Can I ask the cabinet secretary what discussion has been had with the ministerial colleagues in the cultural sector to ensure that culture is encouraged and kept alive in our educational system? The member raises a really important point. He will recall that I formally served in this Parliament as the culture minister, and I recognise the importance very much of culture in terms of the education opportunities and in terms of our school curriculum. In fact, I am going to last-way to high school later on this evening for their expressive arts show later today. We are currently reviewing our expressive arts curriculum, and to the member's point, there are opportunities through that review. More broadly, there have not been ministerial discussions directly on that point, but I am more than happy to undertake those with Mr Robertson. It is worthwhile saying that the Government has a long-standing investment in relation to culture through the Youth Music Initiative, including £9.5 million in this financial year. That is helping our young people across Scotland to access music-making opportunities and to develop their wider skills and learning. It is hugely important that we understand the wellbeing impacts that culture can have in relation to our education system. I am more than happy to discuss this in further detail with my respective ministerial colleague. I ask the minister what initiatives exist in schools and colleges to support young people to pursue careers specifically in the sphere of Gaelic culture and arts. There are many good examples of young people that have benefitted from a local authority, Gaelic medium education and have been encouraged to pursue careers in the sphere of Gaelic culture and the arts as a result. Support for culture and the arts features very prominently in Gaelic medium classes, and additional support is provided for schools by bodies such as MGLBA, for example. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the provision of electronic devices to all school pupils to support their studies. Data provided by local authorities in 2022 indicates that around 280,000 devices were in circulation. We are aware that local councils continue to make progress in providing electronic devices to our pupils in line with their own digital strategies. We continue to consider future options around enhancing digital access, including a range of delivery models to ensure maximum value for investment. Given the extremely challenging financial climate, it is important that that is fully considered to ensure best value. I set out in the programme for government that we will also publish a digital strategy to support the broader aims of the education system, and further details on the strategy will be provided in due course. I thank the cabinet secretary for that answer, and I am sure that the update on roll-out will be of interest to my Aberdeen-Donsai constituents who have contacted me regarding this. With more young folk regularly using electronic devices to access the internet as part of their learning, what steps the Scottish Government can take to ensure that our children and young folk are able to stay safe online? Protecting our children from online harm is a key priority for the Scottish Government, so we are taking a range of different actions, including funding third sector organisations, delivering campaigns and working with partners, including Police Scotland, to keep children and young people safe online. We are committed to ensuring that child internet safety is properly recognised in Scottish education policies through the technologies part of the curriculum, and that includes learning about internet safety and cyber resilience, for example. Within our national learning platform Glow, safety and safeguarding are a really key consideration, alongside the protections already in place, such as account management and dual-layer filtering, to reduce the likelihood of inappropriate content. We have recently joined the Internet Watch Foundation. Membership of the Internet Watch Foundation provides us with a range of additional tools and resources to further enhance safety measures within Glow. An FOI response earlier this year stated that digital inclusion funding has not been made available since 2020-21. What funding has been made available for digital devices since the digital inclusion fund was closed? Of course, during the pandemic, as the member alluded to, we provided £25 million to local authorities, which supported the purchase of 72,000 devices and 14,000 internet connections for school children across Scotland. Since that time, many local authorities have also invested in devices from their own budgets and information from them, so in early 2022, for example, shows up to, as I mentioned, 280,000 devices have already been distributed to learners across Scotland. It is also worth saying that many authorities, including Falkirk, Edinburgh, Midlodion, Glasgow and the Borders, have already made significant investment to improve the digital access of their learners. More broadly, as we move forward to the member's point, as was announced in the programme for government, we are developing a new digital learning approach and strategy that aims to develop a shared narrative on the role of digital in education and opportunities that it can enable within the system. Will the digital strategy deal with the disparity between the provision of modern devices for pupils with additional support needs and the restrictions that are being imposed by SQA regulators that hinder the use of, quote, familiar technology during critical exam periods? I thank the member for his question. I am not cited on the specifics of the second part of his question in relation to the SQA, but I would be more than happy to discuss that with the member in a bit more detail to clarify the challenge here, particularly in relation to young people who may have an additional support need. Thank you very much. That concludes portfolio questions. There will be a brief pause before we move on to the next item of business to allow front benches to change.