The Scottish Labour leader has accused the Scottish government of being “afraid” to hold parliamentary debates about its record on education.
Richard Leonard used First Minister’s Questions to ask Nicola Sturgeon how many government debates on the topic had been held in the Scottish Parliament chamber this year, but she was unable to give a figure.
He told MSPs that there have been none since 2 November 2017, despite it being the top priority of the SNP administration.
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Mr Leonard said: “We’ve had ministerial statements, like this week’s mercy killing of the Education Bill, but not debates.
“What is it that the government is so afraid of debating? Is it the teacher-recruitment crisis? Is it the narrowing of the curriculum? Is it the explosion of multi-level teaching? Is it the growing crisis in additional support needs?
“Or is it because when we do debate and then vote on this government’s record on education it is defeated in this Parliament?”
He added: “We know the education secretary is happy to read out statements but not take interventions, not take part in a debate and not have a vote.”
Mr Leonard said funding had been cut in schools and higher education, but Ms Sturgeon disputed this, saying the “facts tell a different story” and that there have been real-terms increases in council education funding for the past two years running.
She added: “I guess Richard Leonard has a point, because we could have come to this chamber and we could have debated the 10 per cent pay rise for teachers in our country, we could have debated the 500 more teachers in schools this year, the fact that we’ve got more teachers in primary schools now than at any time since 1980.
“The education secretary made a statement this week, he made a statement last week. It’s really not my fault if Richard Leonard can’t manage to ask questions on these statements.”
Meanwhile, the standard of school buildings also came under scrutiny at First Minister’s Questions yesterday.
Highlands and Islands Green MSP John Finnie said: “This week, we have been told that the budget to upgrade crumbling school buildings in the Highlands has been cut by a third. The Highland Council says that that is because it has received £25 million less than expected from the Scottish government.
“This matter is clearly of huge concern to parents, teachers and pupils - not least those associated with the sub-standard St Clement’s school in Dingwall, which is a school for pupils with additional needs that was not even on the list for replacement.
“Will the first minister tell us why that has happened? Will she also ask the cabinet secretary for education and skills to meet me so that we can seek a resolution to this concerning matter?”
Ms Sturgeon replied: “I am sure that the education secretary would be more than happy to discuss those issues with John Finnie. We have increased capital funding for local authorities and have funded additional school projects over and above that. As I said a moment ago, we treat local government fairly within a very tight financial situation and we will continue to do so.
“It is partly because it is recognised that we have treated local government as fairly as we possibly can that we had the Greens’ support for our budget earlier this year.”
