Seed funding made available to help communities combat climate change
To achieve the ambitious changes needed to tackle climate change, environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful is urging communities across the nation to come forward and register events as part of Scotland’s Climate Festival.
The exciting new initiative aims to kick start climate conversations and inspire community led climate action. Whatever the outcome of discussions by world leaders at COP26 in Glasgow, it will augment the scale and increase the impact of empowered local voices across Scotland.
Community climate action is already widespread across Scotland and, building on that, we are calling for communities already hosting events, big and small, physical and online, to sign up to be part of Scotland’s Climate Festival – amplifying the call for greater action and raising awareness of the changes we all need to make if Scotland is to become a Net Zero Nation by 2045.
Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Michael Matheson said: “COP26 coming to Scotland is a unique opportunity to advance the society-wide transformation demanded by the climate crisis. That’s why we are determined to make sure the event reaches out far beyond the negotiations in Glasgow, into every community in the country.
“Scotland has made great progress in delivering its world-leading climate targets and is already over half-way to net zero. To end our contribution to climate change within a generation, we will all need to play role. Our communities and young people will be at the heart of that action.
“This programme will help empower everyone to take action to tackle climate change – especially those that might have not previously engaged.”
All climate event organisers will have access to expert advice and resources to help promote local events in their community. They will also be offered the opportunity to work with national agencies, such as Sustrans, Zero Waste Scotland and Community Energy Scotland, to create and support events.
Climate events will be added to an online festival map and events calendar further promoting action and engaging wider audiences.
And, to help voices of people everywhere to be included, a Seed Fund has been opened to support organisers set up community climate festivals and events across Scotland.
Funds of up to £500 are available and will support groups that are interested in starting a new climate event in their local community, or in getting their fledging event to the next stage.
Catherine Gee, Deputy CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful said: “The hosting of COP26 in Scotland must be a catalyst to broaden and intensify climate action so that everyone, from all areas of life, can play their part combatting the climate emergency.
“Scotland’s Climate Festival will bring the issues discussed before, during and after COP26 right to the heart of our communities, providing much needed energy and mobilisation to support local action whatever the global agreement is.
“Building on our track record of supporting communities and young people we aim to further unlock opportunities for those currently not engaged in climate change action by providing resources, links to national agency supporters, webinars, branded communications kits and seed funding.”
Scotland’s Climate Festival is supported by the Scottish Government.
Military to support national Autumn/Winter vaccination programme
More than 100 members of the Armed Forces will this week join the national Autumn/Winter vaccination programme.
Some 100 vaccinators and 15 nurses will work across all 11 territorial health boards on the mainland to support the rollout of flu vaccines and coronavirus (COVID-19) injections and boosters.
Vaccinations are being offered to as many people as possible as winter approaches.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has been involved in the COVID -19 vaccine rollout in Scotland, including the military, which has ensured more than 8 million first and second doses have been delivered.
“We are now in the midst of an extremely busy period for the national Autumn/Winter vaccination programme with flu and COVID-19 booster injections being offered to the most vulnerable groups, alongside first COVID-19 jabs to 12-15 year olds.
“With increasing levels of social mixing and close social contact in the colder months, it is expected that COVID-19 will add to the winter pressures usually faced by the NHS. That is why we have again requested military support to complement our existing resources and to ensure we can get even more vaccinations into arms as quickly as possible.
“It remains clear that getting vaccinated is the single most effective step that anyone can take to protect themselves from the most severe disease caused by COVID-19. Anyone who has not yet received their first or second COVID-19 vaccination can check their nearest open access centre on NHS Inform or phone the national vaccination helpline on 0800 030 8013.”
An additional £10 million is going to health boards across Scotland to bring in a range of measures to get A&E patients to the right care as quickly as possible.
This includes deploying physiotherapists and occupational therapists at A&E units to help triage and treat patients who would otherwise wait to see nursing staff. This will prevent people being admitted to hospital unnecessarily.
The new funding will provide more specialists such as social care workers and Allied Health Professionals on hospital rotas, and extended opening hours for pharmacy and diagnostic services such as scanning and ultrasound to speed up referrals. It will also support extra staff for peak public holidays.
This is on top of the £300 million package of funding announced as part of the Winter Plan to support the NHS.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “As part of the NHS Recovery Plan we have invested £27 million towards the Redesign of Urgent Care to ensure people receive the right care, at the right place. This will add to that work so our hospitals and A&E departments are not overstretched, if some patients can be safely and effectively treated elsewhere.
“Alongside the additional £10 million investment recently announced to prevent delayed discharge and avoid hospital stays, this extra winter funding aims to ease pressures in A&E departments and minimise delays that patients are currently experiencing when they need urgent care.
“Placing physiotherapists and occupational therapists in A&E will stop unnecessary hospital admissions so that, for example, patients with musculoskeletal conditions, chest infections, or those who have suffered a fall, can receive the right care quickly and advice on exercises to support recovery at home and in the community.
“This is not only good news for our NHS, but also better for the public in giving treatment in the right place, so emergency care is available when it’s really needed.”
Earlier this month the Scottish Government announced a record winter funding package of £300 million to increase NHS and social care capacity.
The Scottish Government will be working with health boards over next few weeks to identify what they might need most from this latest £10 million funding.
A support fund for initiatives that improve the lives of former service personnel and their families is now open.
A priority for this year’s Scottish Veterans Fund – which has doubled to £500,000 – is projects that support veterans who have left the Services early.
Bids that promote collaboration between the veterans charity sector and other bodies are also being prioritised.
Since the fund’s inception in 2008 more than 180 projects have been supported receiving more than £1.7 million. The increase to £500,000 means individual projects can now bid for up to £50,000 a year.
Veterans Secretary Keith Brown said: “Our veterans community is a tremendous asset to society and deserves the best possible care and support.
“Former Armed Forces personnel have a tremendous array of transferable knowledge, skills and experience to offer and they add value to any organisation.
“I am pleased that we have now doubled funding to £500,000, with individual projects now able to bid up to a limit of £50,000 per year.
“We are looking to support projects which provide unique and innovative approaches to aiding our veterans and in particular are seeking bids from charities and other support organisations that are working together.
“We are also looking to support projects that are rising to the challenge of providing support for early service leavers.”
One of the projects to benefit from the fund last year was SaluteMyJob which received £15,000 to run cyber security courses for veterans.
SaluteMyJob Managing Director Andrew Jackson said: “Gaining support from the Scottish Veterans Fund has enabled SaluteMyJob and training partners to better connect the military community with employers.
“That means we can provide access to training and the potential for future employment in new industries such as cyber security.”
TV and radio adverts begin airing today (Monday) encouraging everyone who is eligible for either or both of the flu and COVID-19 booster vaccinations to take up the offer when invited.
The Autumn/Winter vaccination programme has been underway since September with people in the highest risk groups vaccinated first, and those aged 60 to 69 and over-16s with underlying health conditions currently receiving their appointments through the post.
For those in the underlying health conditions group, the type of health condition will guide whether they will be offered a flu jab, the COVID-19 booster, or both vaccines.
Later this month, an online portal will launch to allow people aged 50 to 59, unpaid carers who are 16 and over, and those aged 16 and over who are household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals to book their Autumn/Winter vaccination appointments online.
The Autumn/Winter vaccination programme is working to reduce the risks of COVID-19 and flu. Wherever possible, those eligible for both the flu vaccine and COVID-19 boosters will receive both on the same day. This is safe and effective to do.
Details about who is eligible for these vaccinations are available on NHS Inform.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are keen to stress that everyone who is eligible for either of these vaccinations will be offered them. These TV and radio adverts urge people to check which jabs they qualify for on NHS Inform and to take up the offer when they get it.
“Appointments for both vaccines are being scheduled based on clinical need and age. Many of those who routinely have the flu vaccine are also eligible for a COVID-19 booster, and so will be protected from both illnesses.
“The Autumn/Winter vaccination programme is continuing at pace and running well. COVID-19 booster vaccination can usually only take place six months (24 weeks) after the second dose, although there is now further flexibility to offer vaccination to the most vulnerable groups after five months, which will increase the number of people able to have both vaccinations at the same time.
“We started the programme as soon as possible following advice from the JCVI in September. It is important to note that many people in the original early priority cohorts of the initial vaccination programme already had a six month gap prior to this advice being given.
“The Autumn/Winter vaccination programme includes a record number of free flu vaccines to help protect the people of Scotland, reaching more than 3 million people.
“Flu can be extremely serious and is very infectious. With COVID-19 still circulating in the community we can best protect those most at risk as well as ease pressure on our National Health Service and social care services by encouraging everyone eligible to get vaccinated.”
To find out more about vaccine eligibility and when you will be invited visit:
Investment to tackle “loss and damage” from climate change
Funding to help some of the world’s most vulnerable communities recover from and build resilience against climate change will be announced as world leaders gather for COP26.
The Scottish Government’s Climate Justice Fund will provide £1 million to support a partnership with the Climate Justice Resilience Fund to help communities repair and rebuild from climate-related events, such as flooding and wild fires.
The partnership forms part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensure COP26 empowers the most vulnerable to tackle structural inequalities.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will make the announcement at the Global Climate Assembly at a Green Zone event today, where she will set out Scotland’s intention to bridge the divide between those whose voices are rarely heard and those making the decisions.
The First Minister said: “Climate justice has to be at the heart of COP26 – and the Scottish Government is working to ensure that it provides a platform for unheard voices, including citizens, young people and those from the Global South.
“Through our work on climate justice, Scotland continues to proudly support nations which – despite having done the least to cause climate change – are already suffering its impact.
“We don’t have the resources of other western governments, but we can lead by example. And so I’m pleased to announce that not only are we doubling our climate justice fund to £24 million – we’re also entering into a partnership with the Climate Justice Resilience Fund to support communities and address loss and damage, supported by this £1 million investment.
“I hope this will galvanise other organisations to support the partnership – and show world leaders that where small nations lead they can follow, by making similarly ambitious commitments during COP26.”
The First Minister met with President of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera, yesterday to discuss a COP hub which will open in the country to connect Malawian youth and community leaders to events in Glasgow (top).
She also met the Prime Minister of Viet Nam, Mr Pham Min Chihn, at Bute House (above).
Glasgow’s cleansing service went on strike from 00.01am this morning.
Responding to the collapse of last ditch talks between GMB and Glasgow City Council late last night, , GMB Scotland Secretary Louise Gilmour said: “We met the council in good faith, offering a clear set of proposals to reset industrial relations and avoid strikes. The council rejected these proposals.
“We specifically offered heads of terms to work together to tackle the chronic and unacceptable problems caused by years of cuts, to urgently address the employer’s unresolved discriminatory pay system and outstanding equal pay liabilities, and back this with a commitment from the council that they would not use anti-trade union laws against their workers again.
“We also proposed the Scottish Government support this process, because if the fair work agenda is to have any credibility whatsoever, then Scotland’s biggest city should be the example of it rather than the opposite.
“Regrettably, the council refused this massive opportunity to move forward and strike action across the cleansing service will now begin, during which time our members will be balloted on the COSLA pay offer.”
£41 million Winter Support Fund for low income households
Funding to help people struggling financially during the winter is part of a new £41 million support package. The Winter Support Fund will help those on low incomes, children and people at risk of homelessness against a backdrop of rising living and fuel costs.
The funding comes from consequentials of the UK Government’s £500 million Household Support Fund.
Key elements of the package include:
£10 million to help people who are struggling to pay fuel bills
£25 million flexible funding to help local authorities support wellbeing and respond to financial insecurity based on local needs
£6 million for third sector partners to support low income families
Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: “We know that many families are struggling financially due to the increased costs they are facing right now. This package of measure aims to ease some of that strain by providing direct support to people.
“The Scottish Government has invested £2.5 billion to support low income households in 2020-21, with around £1 billion focused on supporting children as a cornerstone of our national mission to tackle child poverty and homelessness.
“That includes doubling the Scottish Child Payment to £20 per child per week, with our plans to do so set out in the forthcoming Scottish Budget.
“We are passing on every penny of the £41 million we received in UK Government consequentials.
“However, this in no way makes up for the recent £20-a-week cut to Universal Credit, which has taken an estimated £460 million from the pockets of the people in Scotland who need it most.”
Support for those struggling with fuel bills will include access to fuel top-up vouchers, advice to manage fuel debt and support for those in remote and rural areas.
The Winter Support Fund will continue to promote cash-first responses in line with our draft national plan on ending the need for food banks as a primary response. In some cases help may also be offered to tackle social isolation and support mental health.
In addition to helping people heat their homes and meet rising food costs, funding will help to ensure no-one is faced with rough sleeping this winter.
The funding comes from consequentials of the UK Government’s £500 million Household Support Fund.
Statement given by FM Nicola Sturgeon at media briefing at Atlantic Quay, Glasgow on Friday 29 October
Good afternoon everybody and welcome – ahead of the opening of COP26 on Monday – to the Scottish Government headquarters in Glasgow.
I am joined today by Iain Livingstone, the Chief Constable of Police Scotland, and by the National Clinical Director, Jason Leitch.
For the next fortnight, Glasgow – and Scotland – will be at the centre of the world’s attention. Hosting this conference is a huge honour for Scotland – and it is also a major responsibility.
And so I want to talk a little bit today about some of the ways in which we will live up to those responsibilities, and what the next fortnight is likely to mean for people in Glasgow, and for visitors here.
Hopefully by doing that, I can ensure people in Glasgow – and people coming to Glasgow – have the information they need before the summit begins.
Obviously, Glasgow has hosted large events before – and has done so successfully. But I think it’s important to recognise that COP26 is a bit different in scope, significance and scale. It could – quite literally – determine the future of the planet.
Indeed the importance of the event is why it is, even in the midst of the COVID pandemic, taking place in person. And obviously, the scale of the event is quite unprecedented, not just in terms of the numbers of people who are likely to come to Glasgow, but also of course, the status and standing of some of those world leaders who will be visiting i
In light of all of that is inevitable, given how much of a major event this is, that it will bring some disruption.
That will be particularly true over the next few days as national leaders and heads of state, together of course with more than 20,000 delegates, arrive here in Scotland from countries across the world
We also know that certain dates are going to be particularly busy, for example this coming Sunday, Monday and Tuesday during the world leaders’ summit.
And there are also demonstrations planned for Friday and Saturday of next week, which I will say more about in a moment.
In addition, the security requirements of the conference mean that throughout the next two weeks, there will be significant road closures in the area surrounding the Scottish Events Campus where COP is taking place.
In light of that, we are asking people to consider carefully unnecessary trips during the first few days of COP.
That’s especially the case for journeys around or near the SEC, but it also applies across the central belt more generally.
And it applies to journeys on public transport as well as car journeys. We are very pleased that strike action is no longer in prospect on Scotrail services during COP, or at all, but we do know that trains are still likely to be very busy.
Working from home will also help, of course, but this is already recommended as a way of reducing Covid transmission.
By avoiding where possible unnecessary trips during the busier parts of the COP summit, people will be helping to ease a bit the pressure on our roads and our rail services and also of course helping to ensure priority access for key workers such as NHS staff.
If people do need to travel and of course, many people will require to travel, then our advice is to plan routes carefully.
Glasgow City Council has created a set of maps which can help you to do that, and which provide information about where and when you can congestion is expected. Those maps can be found on the travel section of the Get Ready Glasgow website – that’s at GetReadyGlasgow.com.
Of course we also anticipate some disruption as a result of protests during the next two weeks and I want to say just a few words on that matter just now as well.
Scotland and Glasgow have a proud tradition of activism and of peaceful protest. In fact, I have personally taken part in many peaceful protests in the city over the past 30 years or so.
The city slogan is ‘People Make Glasgow’. That is one that I hope at the end of COP26, will be applied warmly to this summit.
So it is absolutely the case that we – and I know this is the strong position of the United Nations – want people’s voices to be heard. We want the voices of young people of wider civic society and of people from across the world to be heard loudly and clearly by those around the negotiating table.
We know there are two major scheduled demonstrations – the Friday for the Future school strike next week, and the march from Kelvingrove to Glasgow Green next Saturday on the Global Day of Action. These both provide opportunities for people to make their voices heard. And I want to thank the organisers of these demonstrations – as well as a number of other activist groups – for the engagement they have had with the City Council and with the police, to ensure that demonstrations can take place safely and securely.
We also expect that other protests that may take place without warning. That is understandable and these are harder for the city, conference organisers and the police to prepare for.
And there are just some principles, in addition, of course to that important principle of the democratic right to protest, that I would ask those intended to pay attention to.
Firstly, whatever anyone thinks of the negotiations taking place in the conference centre – and I can understand why many think that world leaders are not yet doing enough because when leaders are not yet doing enough and that is one of the things we hope to see change during the summit . Regardless of views on that, progress will not be made if discussions are disrupted,
And more generally – and this of course applies to all protests – I would ask that people who are demonstrating show consideration for Glasgow and for people living in this city.
They are opening up this city to the world at what is a difficult time for those around the world, and I hope those who are travelling, welcome though they are, to make their voices heard, will recognise that.
So please also and lastly, follow our rules on Covid – they are intended to protect everyone. And also respect our emergency services – our ambulance crews, our fire crews and our police.
I know the Chief Constable will say something in a few minutes about Scotland’s approach to policing, but I want to stress that our emergency services are there to keep everyone safe.
That includes those who are here to negotiate or to protest, but of course our emergency services also have continued responsibilities to support the people of this city, no matter what is happening inside COP26. So I would ask everyone to respect and support them as they do their jobs.
The final point I want to cover relates to Covid.
This event – which is bringing people from around the world to meet indoors in large numbers while the world is still in the midst of a pandemic – inevitably poses a risk of increased Covid transmission. I understand why that makes some people wary.
However I want to give an assurance again today that we are doing everything we can to mitigate these risks as far as is possible.
The UN, the UK Government and the Scottish Government have taken steps to ensure, as far as possible, that delegates have been fully vaccinated before arrival. Everyone coming to Glasgow from outside the Common Travel Area will need to show a negative test result before they arrive in the UK.
Also, everyone entering the core venue for COP – the blue zone – is required to take a lateral flow test every day that they are in attendance.
Everyone attending the Green Zone must show either their vaccine certificate – for members of the public – or their blue zone pass, which will be updated with the result of their daily lateral flow test.
And at both venues, people must wear face coverings and follow one metre physical distancing and strict hygiene guidance.
In partnership with the UN and the UK, we will keep these procedures under review throughout the summit.
And of course I’d stress that everyone visiting Glasgow for COP – whether official delegates or activists – are required to follow the same basic Covid precautions that apply to us all when they are in the city itself. For example, wearing face coverings on public transport and in indoor public places.
Through all of these measures, I hope we can reduce the risk of Covid transmission – and make COP as safe as possible for people living in the city and for those who will visit our city over the next two weeks.
Finally, I know – as I said at the beginning – that the next two weeks will bring disruption to people living in Glasgow – and I understand that that will cause frustration. I do understand that, I’m both a resident of and a representative of this city.
I don’t expect what I’m about to say will take all of that frustration away over the next two weeks, but I think all of us hopefully will remember that what we are experiencing over these next two weeks is for a purpose.
This is probably the most important global gathering of this century so far.
It’s not just in Glasgow’s interest to have a safe and successful summit, that is in the interest of the entire world.
I know that the vast majority of people in Glasgow understand that and even if we don’t much like the disruption, we do understand the importance of what will be happening during this conference.
So let me end by thanking everyone in the city for the welcome I know will be extended to visitors but also for the patience and forbearance that will have to be shown over the next two weeks.
My hope, and I know that is the hope of Glasgow, Scotland, the UK and indeed the world, is that by the end of these two weeks the outcome of the summit will have justified that patience. So thank you very much for listening.
Chief Constable Iain Livingstone joined the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and the National Clinical Director Professor Jason Leitch during a Scottish Government briefing ahead of COP26.
The Chief Constable said: “As Chief Constable, I want to assure the people of Scotland that our police service is ready to support a safe and secure COP26. And, of equal importance, we are ready to ensure a quality policing service is maintained for every citizen, every community in Glasgow, and indeed, across the whole of Scotland during the conference period.
Our policing operation, Operation Urram, is one of the biggest ever undertaken in the United Kingdom. 7,000 officers and staff from every single police service in the United Kingdom are today arriving to join colleagues from Police Scotland. Over 10,000 officers will be on duty on some days of the conference.
As Chief Constable of the Police Service of Scotland, all officers and staff are under my command and control while deployed to COP26. Accordingly, they will work to the values of policing in Scotland and follow the tone and approach that Police Scotland will apply during the operation.
The United Nations, the organisers of the event, want people to make their voices heard. It’s an objective of the conference. They expect and encourage demonstrations and protests. Our response will be informed by, and consistent with, key human rights and considerations – necessity, proportionality and lawfulness.
These principles are vital in all that we do within policing and they are what I expect from Police Scotland, and from our colleagues who will be supporting us. We will protect the rights of people who wish to peacefully protest at COP26, balanced against the rights of the wider community.
But to those intent on violent disorder and damage; to those who seek to disrupt the climate conference actually taking place; I have a clear message. We will respond swiftly. We will respond robustly.
Every individual within Police Scotland has a role to play. Either directly deployed during the conference or in day to day business ensuring every citizen in Scotland continues to get the help they need and deserve, when they turn to their police service at times of crisis and emergency.
An event the size of COP26 of course places considerable demands on policing and brings inevitable disruption. Thus, maintaining an effective and responsive police service to all of Scotland has been central to our preparation since we knew that COP26 was coming to Glasgow, was coming to Scotland.
We know need and requirements can arise unexpectedly and, as a national Service, we are able to deploy resources quickly.
That’s been evident over the last 24 hours, when we have had officers from many parts of Scotland deployed to the south of the country to support communities affected by the terrible flooding.
I am focused and confident about Police Scotland’s ability to lead this enormous policing operation, that’s primarily because of the quality and commitment to public service that’s demonstrated by officers and staff in all ranks, all roles in Police Scotland, strongly supported by other UK colleagues.
I would stress again, if you or your family at any time need police assistance, contact us; call treble nine in an emergency. We are here to help you and to keep you safe. I will close as I began, by assuring the people of Scotland that our police Service, your police Service, is ready for the challenges that lie ahead: both to police COP26, and to continue keeping people safe across the whole of Scotland.
A simple blood test for people with Type 1 diabetes enabling some patients to stop taking insulin is to be rolled out.
Scotland is the first country in the world to introduce this test which will be available from hospital diabetes centres from Monday (1 November).
Aimed to improve the accuracy of diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes, the routine testing of C-peptide allows doctors to work out how much insulin someone with diabetes is making themselves.
If C-peptide is present in significant amounts, then it may indicate that the person does not have Type 1 diabetes and that it may be possible to stop or reduce insulin treatment.
The roll-out follows a two year pilot study in NHS Lothian led by Diabetes and Endocrinology Consultant Professor Mark Strachan.
Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: “Diabetes is a clinical priority for this Government and we want to ensure that everyone living with diabetes in Scotland can access safe, effective and person-centred healthcare, treatment and support.
“Type 1 diabetes is a significant health challenge right across the world. I am proud that Scotland will be the first country to introduce this blood test which has the potential to have a significant positive impact on the lives of those people living with diabetes.”
Professor Mark Strachan said: “C-peptide helps diabetes specialists make a more accurate diagnosis of the cause of diabetes, and that means we can get people on the most appropriate treatment. In some instances, C-peptide testing allowed people to stop very long-standing insulin therapy; this can be life-transforming.
“If anyone has any concerns regarding their diabetes or wishes to know more about the new blood test, they should contact their diabetes clinical team who are best placed to provide specific advice and support based on their individual circumstances.”
There are approximately 315,000 people living with diabetes in Scotland.
The programme will be offered to people with a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes of at least three years duration. C-peptide testing will be offered by hospital diabetes centres.
The final seven countries have been removed from the international travel red list, meaning travellers to the UK from those destinations will no longer have to stay in hotel quarantine for 10 days on arrival.
The decision was made on a four nation basis and will take effect at 04:00 on 1 November. It affects arrivals from Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Peru and Venezuela.
In addition vaccine certificates from a further 35 countries and territories will be recognised to allow quarantine-free travel to Scotland. Going forward this list will be reviewed on a regular basis.
Despite no countries remaining on the red list from 1 November, the policy is continuing and some managed quarantine capacity will stay in place in Scotland in order to react to any change in risk assessment that would see a country added to the red list.
Transport Minister Graeme Dey said: “Today’s decision is a further sign of the success of the Scottish Government’s vaccination programme and will enable the travel and tourism sector to take another step back towards normal operations.
“However, the pandemic is not over. The situation will be closely monitored and regularly reviewed and If the situation demands it we will not hesitate to re-impose restrictions on international travel to safeguard the health of our citizens and protect Scotland’s recovery.”
UK Transport Grant Shapps said: “We have been able to do this now because the variants of concern that we have been tracking are no longer of concern to the chief medical officers.”
Exams and national qualifications are to be reformed, the Education Secretary has confirmed.
Shirley-Anne Somerville said new qualifications will be developed to ensure learners’ achievements are fairly recognised. It is expected that externally marked exams will remain part of the new assessment approach.
Learners studying for national qualifications in spring next year will not be affected by any changes.
A wide range of views will be sought on the reforms, with young people and teachers informing how the new system will work.
The decision to make changes was influenced by:
the recommendations in the OECD’s independent review of Scotland’s school curriculum
renewed debate about assessment following the cancellation, due to COVID-19, of National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams in 2020 and 2021
a paper by renowned academic Professor Gordon Stobart setting out options on Scotland’s future approach to assessment and qualifications
The Education Secretary made the announcement as she updated Parliament on plans to implement the 12 recommendations in the OECD’s review of Curriculum for Excellence. The OECD’s recommendations are being taken forward and will involve input from stakeholders including children and young people.
Ms Somerville said: “It remains a key priority of this Government to ensure that our approaches to curriculum and assessment are fit for purpose and so guarantee the best possible educational experience for children and young people, not least as we emerge from the pandemic.
“I am convinced that given the experience and views expressed over the last two years, the time is right to signal that the Scottish Government supports reform of national qualifications and assessment.
“It will be vital when considering reform that we work with all those with an interest, to, as far as possible, build a consensus on this issue.
“We will consult on the purpose and principles which should underpin any reform of national qualifications and assessment. This will be the first step in a process which must be done with careful thought and consideration, recognising the importance of national qualifications to learners.”
A reference group, led by Professor Louise Hayward, Professor of Educational Assessment and Innovation at Glasgow University, will be set up to provide advice to Ministers on the reforms.
Professor Hayward said: “Professor Stobart’s review offers Scottish education an opportunity to bring the vision for Curriculum for Excellence and practice in the senior phase into better alignment: to design a system that offers better life chances for every young person.
“In the senior phase, assessment and qualifications matter for all young people, their parents/carers, their teachers, to local authorities and regional improvement collaboratives, to colleges, universities and employers.
“Any change needs to be based on insights from each of those communities and grounded in evidence from research. Crucially, the voices of young people, so often peripheral to debates in the past, must be listened to and heard.”
The EIS has commented on today’s launch of the Curriculum for Excellence Review Implementation Framework, which was published yesterday on the Scottish Government website and highlighted by the Cabinet Secretary for Education in the Scottish Parliament in the afternoon.
The Implementation Framework sets out how the Scottish Government intends to address the recommendations in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report, Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence: Into the Future.
Commenting, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “The EIS welcomes the commitment to the further empowerment of schools and teachers outlined in the Framework but would also emphasise that, in order for rhetoric to become reality, those with power must be willing to surrender some of their control.
Specifically, this means the Scottish Government and its Learning Directorate need to step back and allow practitioners and educationalists to have enhanced voice and agency in the implementation process. There is a danger that the multitude of fora being created will simply provide a smokescreen for an even more centralised approach to education governance.
The EIS is clear, also, that government appointed groups like the Teachers’ Panel cannot be a substitute for engaging with the professional associations which represent Scotland’s teachers.”
Mr Flanagan continued: “We welcome the commitment to increased teacher numbers and reduced class contact time which are both essential steps in supporting education recovery for Scotland’s young people. The delivery of these commitments needs to be expedited, however, as action is needed now to ensure that all pupils can receive the level of support they both need and deserve.
“The EIS believes that the proposed timescale around the introduction of a new qualification framework (Sept 22- Aug 24) is woefully inadequate – this is an urgent problem highlighted by the pandemic where the clear inequity of the previous high stakes exam approach was exposed for all to see.
“The delivery of a new qualifications framework needs an urgent approach so that we do not default back to a discredited system which failed too many young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.”
