SPEECH BY EDUCATION SECRETARY, FIONA HYSLOP MSP, TO SNP ANNUAL CONFERENCE

SPEECH BY EDUCATION SECRETARY, FIONA HYSLOP MSP, TO SNP ANNUAL CONFERENCE

SCOTLAND’S GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL STUDENTS

Speaking at the SNP’s 75th Annual conference in Inverness today (Thursday) at the Eden Court Theatre, the Cabinet Secretary for Education , Fiona Hyslop, said Scotland has what it takes to get through the recession and announced that the Scottish Government will provide £8.6 million to support 3,000 additional students this academic year.

Commenting Ms Hyslop said:

"Delegates – I was walking along the beautiful banks of the Ness this morning and every person I met said the same thing to me.

"It’s great to be back in Inverness. Isn’t it just!

"Conference, I met with the new Chairman and Principle of UHI Millennium Institute this morning.

"I heard of the progress they are making toward becoming Scotland’s newest university. And I heard their vision for the Highlands and Islands to develop a model of Higher Education learning that overcomes the challenges of geography.

"It is a model that, I believe, other countries will, in time, learn from and adopt for other parts of the world where remoteness and rurality are challenges to access to learning.

"That’s another example of Scotland punching above its weight, leading the world and it’s based right here in the great city of Inverness.

"This is the third time I have had the privilege of speaking to you as the first SNP Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning in the first SNP Government.

"But it is the first time we have met since the recession began to bite.

"And it is the first time I have spoken to you since Labour imposed a cut of 500 million pounds on the Scottish budget.

"Our task is to play the hand we are dealt. Our mission is to change the game by winning Independence.

"Our responsibility is to get on with the job;

"To make the decisions that make a difference to people’s lives,

"And to continue to deliver on what matters to the Scottish people.

"We are the only party – the only administration anywhere in the UK – that has already published a budget for 2010/11. We are getting on with the job.

"Tough choices have been made and clear priorities set.

"It is a budget driven by our values; by what is important to us as a party, as a Government and as a nation.

"And it is a budget that commits us to protecting what matters most to people - economic recovery and frontline public services.

"That’s our job; that’s the job we were elected to do; and that’s the job that matters.

Economic Recovery

"The recession is hitting people hard and your SNP government is helping them through these difficult times.

"The Government’s Economic Strategy rests on Scotland’s greatest advantage: its people. The recession makes it more important than ever that we invest in education and skills.

"We are helping people get jobs; helping them stay in jobs and helping them move between jobs.

"We have re-shaped and adapted our skills and training policies making them more flexible, more accessible and more tailored to the needs of individuals and businesses.

"In June we launched the ScotAction programme, helping unemployed people gain employment, helping employers – particularly in key sectors – develop the skills in their workforce that are vital for economic recovery, and helping people facing redundancy find new jobs.

Support for those in work

"We are already supporting Scottish businesses and individuals through 16 million pounds of additional funding for 7,800 more apprentices this year, including:

• 2,000 for the retail sector;

• 1,250 in health and social care;

• 1,000 in Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games and M74;

• 600 in management;

• 170 places for early years and childcare; and

• just last week we announced 100 in home energy efficiency.

"And we have gone further with our Life Sciences “buy-one get one free” incentive to provide the technicians we need for this growing sector; covering the wage costs for the second apprentice during the course of their training.

Support for those moving from work to work

"And for those facing redundancy, your SNP government is getting on with the job of helping them move from work to work.

"We know it is critical to get co-ordinated and coherent support in place when jobs are on the line.

"PACE brings together all the public bodies into one team to ensure a swift and effective approach.

"People at risk of redundancy get tailored help and support to ensure they can develop the skills they need to find new work.

"Only yesterday I was at Forth Valley College where engineers – some made redundant from manufacturing companies – are starting the Transformation Programme; reskilling for the oil and gas sector with Opito, the Oil and Gas Academy.

"From January to August this year the PACE teams assisted companies of all sizes and from a wide range of sectors including Freescale in East Kilbride, Hewlett Packard in Erskine and Siemens in Glasgow.

"234 companies and over 14,000 employees under threat of redundancy helped by your SNP Government. That’s the mark of a Government that gets on with the job.

Support for people looking for work

"Delegates, unlike so many governments in the past, we will not stand by when jobs are on the line. We will not stand by and allow another lost generation to be created.

"We have recognised how vital it is to have quick access to training and the Training for Work programme is now available after just three months rather than six months unemployment.

"And, because we know the longer people are out of work, the harder it is to get work, those people under threat of redundancy can now access the training scheme during the 90 day redundancy notification period.

"We have announced an additional 28 million pounds for Scotland’s colleges to allow them to provide the courses people need to get the skills employers are looking for.

"And, of course, there is our Apprenticeship Guarantee. 2,000 pounds under the Adopt an Apprentice scheme for every employer who agrees to take on a redundant apprentice to allow them to complete their training.

"Since June when the Adopt an Apprentice scheme was implemented 137 apprentices have been made redundant.

"Because the scheme is not limited to those made redundant since June, it has now found 149 apprentices new jobs where they can finish their training.

"And all that on top of the hundreds found jobs by the sector skills councils.

"Quite simply, we are delivering the most comprehensive support for apprenticeships in the UK.

Helping families

"And conference, it is not just those people threatened by job losses that we are helping. We are also helping hard pressed families.

"From August this year, your Government extended eligibility to free school meals to 44,000 more pupils

"Children from low income families helped by your SNP Government.

Early Years / Child Protection

"Conference – Regardless of the recession the problems of poverty, parenting, drugs, and alcohol still impact on children.

"These are the issues that all too often are at the root of any crisis in a child’s life.

"With our Early Years Framework, we are focussing services on early intervention, dealing with the underlying problems before the crisis point is reached.

"Delegates, for some of the most vulnerable children in our society, early intervention means Child Protection measures.

"Scotland now has the highest levels of child protection referrals ever, and the number of looked after children – which includes those taken into care – at are their highest level since 1983.

"I point this out, not as a source of pride.

"Far from it.

"There is no better argument for early intervention than those two facts.

"But it should also be a source of reassurance that in the vast majority of cases – the cases that are never reported in the media - children at risk are being given the help and protection they so desperately need.

"The simple – and sad – truth, however, is that no system of child protection can ever be sure of stopping evil being perpetrated against the innocent, usually by people they already know.

"We were all horrified by the appalling death of Brandon Muir.

"What we can do, is put in place the best system possible to detect neglect and abuse and intervene as soon as possible.

"Scotland now has a system of child protection inspection that stands head and shoulders above anything you will find elsewhere in the UK.

"A system that inspects and re-inspects, uncovers deficiencies where they exist and acts quickly to address them.

"We can be sure we have a system that gets on with the job of safeguarding children at risk but vigilance must be a watchword for all of us.

National Education Service

"Delegates – Here and now the recession is the focus of so much of your Government’s efforts.

"But alongside that, we have maintained our focus on the transformation of our education system.

"We believe that we must provide everyone with the opportunities they need to learn and develop their skills.

"Just as we have a National Health Service, we need a National Education Service.

"A truly cradle to grave education system, from the earliest years, through to lifelong learning.

A single learning system.

"A universal service, providing Scots with the knowledge and skills they need to perform in a constantly changing world.

"To secure jobs yet to be invented and harness knowledge yet to be discovered.

"It is an ambitious programme, but we are a party that is ambitious for Scotland. We are the party that believes our country has what it takes.

"Under your SNP Government we now have the lowest class sizes ever.

"The highest Standard Grade and Higher pass rates ever with more Highers and Advanced Highers achieved despite falling school rolls.

"And more schools funded and built under your SNP Government in just two and a half years than Labour built in four.

"That’s our record. That’s your SNP Government getting on with the job.

Curriculum for Excellence

"Delegates – Curriculum for Excellence builds on what’s best about the Scottish education system – the expertise, professionalism and dedication of our teachers. It sweeps away the over-prescriptive, top-down dictats that smothered teachers’ talent.

"It will free our teachers to teach.

"And above all, Curriculum for Excellence is about driving up standards of teaching and learning.

"Our education system is preparing our children for the challenges of life in a 21st Century society and global economy.

"This generation of parents – my generation of parents – want more from the Scottish education system than the education establishment proscribed in recent decades for our children.

"Your SNP Government is driving forward reform to help develop young people’s capacity:

• to be Successful learners.

• to be Confident individuals.

• to be Responsible citizens.

• to be Effective contributors.

"Taken together we are ensuring that our young people have the knowledge and the understanding they require to be able to challenge accepted thinking, and learn what they will need for the world of tomorrow.

"After decades of governments telling our nation that it cannot stand on its own two feet; decades of our children being told what they can’t do, we are teaching our children that there is nothing they cannot achieve.

Scottish History

"And conference, within the new curriculum, published in April, we are ensuring that Scottish history, heritage and culture will finally find its rightful place in our schools.

"Later this month I will launch ground-breaking new resources covering over 200 separate Scottish history topics.

"Designed to support teachers, it will give our children an understanding of our nation’s history and place in the world.

"And because we believe our history belongs to every one of us, these resources will be online and available to all, pupils, parents and the public.

"From pre-history through the Wars of Independence, the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution, every pupil – every citizen – will have access to world class resources detailing our history.

"Delegates, our opponents begrudge giving pupils their bus fare to visit National Trust for Scotland sites like Bannockburn, Culloden and Burns Cottage.

"Your SNP Government is committed to doing much, much more than that.

"We will give every citizen access to the entire history of our nation.

Class Sizes

"Conference - We have pledged to achieve the ambitious goal of reducing class sizes for P1 to P3.

"We know children do better in school when they get more time with their teacher. More time with their teacher means more help when they are learning to read, write and do their sums.

"Conference, that simple fact has been known for a long, long time.

"Despite this, Labour’s legacy is of some of the largest class sizes in Europe.

"It was always going to be hard to turn that around.

"We all expected – and believed – that faster progress would be possible.

"None of us saw the recession – and its impact on council finances and teacher numbers – coming.

"Yet we should recognise that despite this, significant progress has been made.

"The pupil-teacher ratio is at a record low

"And, average primary class sizes are at an historic low.

"These are real improvements benefitting the education of thousands of the youngest pupils in our classrooms.

"And now, we are taking the next step. From next year, we will legally ban the biggest class sizes over 25 in P1.

"That’s your SNP Government getting on with the job of tackling class sizes.

School Buildings

"And our ambitions for our schools do not stop there. In partnership with councils, we are transforming the fabric of our school buildings.

"When we came into office, a scandalous 260,000 pupils were in unacceptable school accommodation.

"With Scotland’s councils, we have already lifted 100,000 pupils out of those poor quality buildings.

"Two billion pounds of investment between 2007 and 2012;

"236 schools already delivered

"More in just two and a half years than Labour built in their entire last four year term.

"And conference, we will not stop there. We are investing an additional 1.25 billion pounds in new and refurbished buildings in partnership with Scotland’s councils.

"We said at the last election that we would match Labour’s promise of 250 new or refurbished schools ‘brick-for-brick’.

"Conference, I can announce to you today that we will hit the 250 milestone by summer 2010 and deliver on that pledge a full year early.

"One reason why Labour was voted out in 2007 is that people wanted to see an end to the one-party state and the semi-feudal, Labour fiefdom approach to government.

"They no longer wanted a party that claimed schools as Labour schools.

"They are not Labour schools;

"They are not Liberal Democrat schools

"They are not even SNP schools,

"They are Scotland's schools, paid for by the taxpayers of Scotland.

"Further and Higher Education

"Delegates – In building a National Education Service, a single learning system, our colleges and universities play a crucial role.

"Scotland has a long and proud history of excellence. We intend to build on it, recognising their key role in building for economic recovery.

"We are now investing a higher proportion of Government spending on Scotland’s universities than under Labour.

"What’s more, to tackle the recession we have accelerated 13 million pounds of capital spending into 2009/10, allowing universities and colleges to improve their facilities faster and support construction jobs now, in the face of the recession.

"Lanarkshire has been hard hit by the recession but because of the capital spending we accelerated, Coatbridge College has now started a 23 million pound new campus project – providing much needed local construction jobs –a full year early because your SNP Government is getting on with the job.

"And that is just one of the projects we are supporting and I have visited this year. Work on Langside College and Anniesland College in Glasgow is progressing. Indeed, Glasgow alone is receiving around 30 per cent of Scotland’s accelerated and total capital spend for colleges and universities.

Student Support

"Delegates – We believe in an education system that is based on the students’ ability to learn, not their ability to pay.

"That’s why we abolished the backdoor tuition fee and restored the principle of free education in Scotland.

"The end of the Graduate Endowment Fee is benefiting 50,000 Scottish students and their families.

"To help people, perhaps those made redundant, access Higher Education while holding down part-time jobs to help support their families, we are providing 38 million pounds to replace loans with grants for up to 20,000 part-time students each year.

"Now, we are going further. Just last week, I announced that up to 75,000 students - 68 per cent of the eligible student population - will see their income increase in the next academic year as part of an additional 30 million pounds package of support.

"As a party, we understand that students are being hit hard by the recession.

"It’s more difficult to find part-time work, holiday jobs are harder to get, and the credit crunch has hit the availability of bank credit.

"That’s why your SNP Government is getting on with the job of easing the financial pressures on students

Student Numbers

"Delegates, this party has always believed Scotland’s future prosperity rests on the talents of her people. We believe our people have got what it takes to prosper.

"And we know that Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths – the so-called STEM subjects – are critical to our economy’s success. The skills they deliver are a key part of ensuring Scotland has a high skills future, building for economic growth in key sectors like life-sciences and renewable energy.

"I am determined that now, with the recession hitting so many businesses, we do not miss any opportunity to invest in that future economic prosperity.

"So today I want to make a new announcement on university student numbers.

"In partnership with our universities, we promised to respond positively and flexibly to the increase in applications we have seen as the recession has bitten.

"I am now happy to announce that the Scottish Government will provide £8.6 million to support 3,000 additional students this academic year.

"That’s a 10 per cent increase in student number this year, financially supported by your SNP Government.

"And these student places are focused on those crucial STEM subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

"Good news for students and good news for our economy.

Conclusion

"Yes, we are getting on with the job; getting on with the immediate task of responding to the recession.

"But we are also building for economic recovery.

"Yes, we are dealing with what matters to parents; driving up quality in teaching and learning and time for literacy and numeracy in the early years.

"But we are also a Party of vision and ambition; building a nation which knows itself historically and culturally.

"And which reaches out to a confident future with Independence, full in the knowledge that its people from cradle to grave are equipped with skills knowledge and abilities to fulfil their potential.

"To enable their country, their nation, our country, our nation; to be all it can be.”