To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of its work to tackle the poverty-related educational attainment gap, in light of the gap reportedly widening across all school qualifications in the recent exam results. (S6T-02081)

The most recent set of results from Scotland’s schools shows that, for national 5 and higher, the attainment gap has returned to levels that are broadly comparable with those in 2019—which, due to changes made during the pandemic to qualifications requirements, is the last comparable year on record. The results also show record levels of young people achieving technical and vocational qualifications, with an almost 25 per cent increase on the year prior. There has also been an increase in students from the most disadvantaged communities gaining a place in higher education—a 12 per cent increase this year alone.

Notwithstanding that, it is clear that the pandemic is continuing to have a lasting impact on our children and young people, here and elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Responding to this year’s results, I convened a meeting with directors of education to focus on improvement and local variation, along with the chief examiner and the interim chief inspector of education. Post-pandemic, it is imperative that the Government works to drive improvement in our schools. To that end, in the coming weeks, I will set out further detail pertaining to the Government’s response in relation to qualification reform and school improvement.

The education secretary chooses her milestones carefully. She knows that the Government will be measured on the promise that it made in 2016 to close the poverty-related attainment gap. Eight years into that promise, how confident is she that it will be delivered by 2026?

It is worth pointing out the progress that has been made thus far in relation to closing the gap. I do not take away from the challenge, some of which is not of this Government’s making. However, we have seen a narrowing of the gap—for example, in the December statistics for primary 7 literacy and numeracy. We have also seen progress in our young people going on to positive destinations—since 2009, the attainment gap has narrowed by 60 per cent in that regard. As I intimated in my initial response, we have also seen really strong progress this year in the widening of access, with a 12 per cent increase in university acceptance for those from our poorest communities. I do not take away from the on-going challenge, but I hope that Mr Rennie can recognise that progress.

The financial context in which the Government is operating is also relevant. If an austerity agenda continues to be pursued by the Westminster Government—irrespective of party—that will hamper the progress that I as education secretary am able to make, because I will have less money at my disposal to make the necessary progress in closing the gap.

It seems that the Scottish National Party Government is focused more on finding excuses than on closing the poverty-related attainment gap. The cabinet secretary is also incredibly selective with her statistics. I know that we all like to choose our own statistics, but she will be measured on the promise on the poverty-related attainment gap, as set out by the former First Minister in 2016. What does she say to the thousands of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to whom a promise was made that has so far failed to be delivered?

The member talks about the selective use of statistics. When I was teaching modern studies, we used to talk about people being selective in their use of facts.

In my initial response to Mr Rennie, I talked about national 5 and higher. Mr Rennie might want to look at the results this year for advanced higher, where we have seen a slight widening of the gap. Why is that the case in relation to that qualification? It is because we have seen an increase in the number of students sitting that qualification. I think that that is a good thing, because in the past—certainly when I was at school in Mr Rennie’s constituency, which is some time ago now—there was gatekeeping in relation to that qualification: children were essentially told that they were not bright enough to sit that qualification. I do not think that that was right and I think that we now have a far broader approach to qualification entry. Undoubtedly, that will have an impact on attainment, but we have seen progress in relation to closing the gap.

Earlier, I rehearsed some of the narrative in relation to our performance at primary 7 level and positive destinations, but the final point to make is that Scotland is not an outlier in relation to closing the poverty-related attainment gap. For both A level and GCSE this year, the gap between the highest and lowest-performing regions in England has grown and remains higher than it was before the pandemic. I am not using that as an excuse in response to Mr Rennie’s point; I am saying that that is the context. What is being felt in Scotland is being felt all over the UK; the cohort of young people who are in front of teachers right now have lived through a pandemic—

Briefly, cabinet secretary.

We should all be mindful of what that means in relation to their outcomes.

I am keen for more members to have an opportunity to put questions, so concise questions and responses would be appreciated.

Eight years since the promise to close the poverty-related attainment gap was made, is the cabinet secretary in a position to provide us with a credible written strategic plan that she is working to in order to close the gap, or is she making it up as she goes along?

I think that Mr Kerr is well aware that the Government’s plan is the Scottish attainment challenge, which has over £1 billion of funding coming during this parliamentary session to close the poverty-related attainment gap. [ Interruption .] Mr Kerr does not think that that is a good idea. I think that it is a pretty substantive plan and he should engage with the detail of it if he is interested. However, if he listened to my initial response—as I hope he did—he will know that I also stated very clearly that I would give a fulsome written update on qualification reform in the coming weeks, which will set out a clear trajectory in relation to improvement.

Central to the poverty-related attainment gap is the issue of poverty itself, with thousands of children being pushed into poverty by the austerity agenda, which the Liberal Democrats were central to ushering in. Does the cabinet secretary agree that one of the most important things that we can do in relation to improving educational attainment is to eradicate child poverty?

The member makes a hugely important point. What drives the attainment gap is poverty, caused by more than a decade of austerity and brutal cuts that have been supported by both Labour and the Tories. Children and families are bearing the brunt of Tory cuts to social security and brutal policies such as the two-child limit, which we now know is supported by Keir Starmer and the Labour Party.

We also know that modelling that has been published estimates that Scottish Government policies will keep 100,000 children out of relative poverty in 2024-25, with relative poverty levels being 10 percentage points lower than they would otherwise have been. Meanwhile, the Tories and Labour are committed to doubling down on austerity, which impacts on attainment and poverty.

At the weekend, the cabinet secretary said that she could not raise attainment with fewer teachers, yet teacher numbers will be cut this year. Later this afternoon, it is likely that we will hear of further pressures to local government and school budgets. Far from reforming anything in education, the cabinet secretary is putting forward an education bill that essentially achieves very little. Fewer teachers, fewer resources and what has been dubbed as pretty meaningless reform—is that really the plan to raise attainment and close the poverty-related attainment gap?

I am sure that Pam Duncan-Glancy will recognise that there was an increase in the number of secondary teachers last year. I am sure that she would want to record that fact. Of course, in Scotland, we have the lowest pupil-teacher ratio—far lower than in Labour-run Wales, for example. I am sure that the member would also like to recognise that. I am sure that Ms Duncan-Glancy would also like to recognise that we spend more per pupil in Scotland than in any other part of the UK, and I am sure that she would love to recognise that Scottish teachers are the best paid in the UK because of investment from this Government.

The member talks about reform, and I look forward to engaging with her in that process to improve the outcomes for Scotland’s children and young people, but I very much hope that she can recognise this Government’s inputs into supporting our education system.

What assessment has the cabinet secretary made of attainment with regard to the impact on the teaching and learning environment of the increasing levels of violence and threat that are being reported in classrooms, and what will she do about that?

I know that the member takes a keen interest in the matter, and I hope that he will be attending to hear my statement on the behaviour action plan that I will give to the Parliament later. He will be aware that we published the action plan two weeks ago. It responds to the assessment that the Government undertook on the impact of behaviour on attainment, which was published in the behaviour in Scottish schools research towards the end of last year. I encourage the member to engage with that data if he has not already done so, and I look forward to engaging with him further following the statement later today.

That concludes topical questions.