Portfolio Questions

Education and Skills Peter Chapman S5O-00732 1. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that remote and rural schools are not disadvantaged compared to those in urban areas. Elaine Smith S5O-00733 2. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to retain and recruit teachers to tackle shortages. Anas Sarwar S5O-00734 3. To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on graduate apprenticeships since they were introduced. Gordon Lindhurst S5O-00735 4. To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the consultation on reforms to its named persons scheme has been described by one group as a “sham”. Miles Briggs S5O-00736 5. To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that schools have adequate numbers of support staff. Willie Coffey S5O-00737 6. To ask the Scottish Government how much support will be provided to schools in the Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley constituency through Pupil Equity Funding, and when this will commence. Patrick Harvie S5O-00738 To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to reform personal and social health education, in light of evidence presented to the Education and Skills Committee on 22 February 2017. Graham Simpson S5O-00739 8. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that children receive quality early learning and childcare. James Kelly S5O-00740 9. To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that school uniform costs for pupils from low-income families can be met. Bruce Crawford S5O-00741 10. To ask the Scottish Government how much local authorities spent on education in 2015-16. Gail Ross S5O-00742 11. To ask the Scottish Government what support and resources it provides to schools to encourage and develop relationships with employers, businesses and further educational establishments in their area. Lewis Macdonald S5O-00743 12. To ask the Scottish Government how many of the recently announced 371 new teacher training places will be at the University of Aberdeen. Claire Baker S5O-00744 13. [Not Lodged] Annie Wells S5O-00745 To ask the Scottish Government how personal and social education in schools can help to tackle mental health issues affecting LGBTI pupils. George Adam S5O-00746 15. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve attainment in schools. Maurice Corry S5O-00747 16. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that schoolchildren are being encouraged to read books. Gordon MacDonald S5O-00748 To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on protecting additional places for widening access and articulation schemes to ensure that targets set by the Commission on Widening Access are not missed. Liz Smith S5O-00749 18. To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with local authorities regarding the provision of accurate lists of available supply teachers. Linda Fabiani S5O-00750 19. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met South Lanarkshire Council to discuss education matters. Richard Leonard S5O-00751 20. To ask the Scottish Government what impact the reduction in the Skills and Training budget in 2017-18 will have on Skills Development Scotland's ability to grow the economy and develop the workforce.