- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 23 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what form annual progress plans, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland, will take and how such plans will differ from annual reports.
Answer
Work is under way to improve reporting to parents as part of the Assessment Development Programme. The form of annual progress plans is currently under consideration and will draw on a series of consultations with groups of parents planned for autumn 2003. Annual progress plans will be closely linked to Personal Learning Plans to provide parents with a broader range of quality information on their children's learning.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 23 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive when the discussions with education authorities, higher education institutions and the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council on the expansion of teacher training places will take place, as referred to in its news release SEED244/2003 of 25 June 2003.
Answer
Officials are in regular contact with the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council to keep them advised of future requirements for teachers and further discussions with all relevant interests will take place in the course of the summer and autumn.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 23 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will facilitate the establishment of a central unit to co-ordinate health and safety issues in respect of school trips that involve taking pupils abroad.
Answer
We have no plans to facilitate the establishment of such a unit. The review of guidance which is currently under way will consider how best practice can be shared, not just in respect of school trips abroad.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 23 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding will be set aside to improve procedures, services and support for adoptive and foster parents, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland.
Answer
In the spending review the Executive has allocated over £20 million for 2003-04 to 2005-06 to improving outcomes for looked-after children, which will include elements to support adoptive parents and foster carers. In addition, the Executive has allocated £30 million for 2001-02 to 2003-04 to improving family placements, including foster care.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 23 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applicants to the Teacher Induction Scheme have not taken up the place offered to them.
Answer
One thousand, nine hundred and ninety-five students were offered places on the Teacher Induction Scheme at the beginning of June. As at 7 July, 75 have indicated that they will not take up the places they have been offered.The table indicates the reasons why people will not be taking up their places.
| Reason for Not Taking Up Place | Number of Students |
| Withdrawn from or not completed course | 34 |
| Deferral till 2004 scheme | 5 |
| Going outwith Scotland | 9 |
| Joining independent sector | 7 |
| Personal/family reasons | 7 |
| Other/not specified | 13 |
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 23 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to local authorities about health and safety issues on school trips.
Answer
Such guidance was issued by the Scottish Office in the form of a circular. This guidance is currently being reviewed by the Scottish Executive.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 23 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives it will introduce to improve procedures, services and support for adoptive and foster parents, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is currently working with partners in local authorities and the voluntary sector to take forward policies to improve procedures, services and support for adoptive and foster parents.The report of the first phase of our adoption policy review was published last year and made a number of recommendations to improve support to adoptive parents, in particular the establishment of an Adoption Support Network for Scotland. Following consultation on these recommendations, the Executive is considering how best to take forward these recommendations. The second phase of the adoption review, which was launched in March, will consider the legal framework for adoption and fostering, including the support for adoptive parents.The Executive has invited the Fostering Network to develop their proposals for improving support for foster carers and I will be meeting with them in the near future to discuss this work.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 23 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how training for the additional 2,800 teachers needed to meet its target of 53,000 teachers by 2007 will be funded.
Answer
Funding for any additional teachers required by the Partnership Agreement will be delivered through the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 23 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what percentage of, probationer teachers trained in the north east received places in that region under the Teacher Induction Scheme.
Answer
Two hundred and sixty-four Aberdeen University students applied to join the Teacher Induction Scheme in August 2003. One hundred and thirty-two (50%) have been allocated either to Aberdeen City Council or Aberdeenshire Council.Of the other 132, 60 (23% of the total) were allocated to an authority higher on their preference list than either Aberdeen City Council or Aberdeenshire Council and 55 (21% of the total) did not indicate a preference to work with either of those authorities. The remaining 17 (6% of the total) indicated a preference to work in Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire. However, no vacancies existed for these teachers and they were allocated to other authorities on their preference lists.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 23 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce proposals for the training of additional teachers in mathematics and English in order to reduce class si'es in these subjects to 20 in S1 and S2.
Answer
Discussions will be held with education authorities as to their requirements for additional teachers. Intakes to teacher training courses are a matter for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council. The Scottish Executive offers advice to the council on the overall number of newly trained teachers and that advice will take account of additional requirements arising out of the Partnership Agreement.
