Education (Scotland) Bill: Financial Memorandum

Overview

About the Bill

The Bill is in two main parts.

Part 1 of the Bill establishes Qualifications Scotland. Qualifications Scotland will:

• replace the Scottish Qualifications Authority, which is dissolved by the Bill
• develop and award qualifications (other than university degrees)
• have an independent Accreditation Committee to regulate qualifications (other than university degrees) and the organisations that award them
• give advice to Scottish Ministers
• produce charters setting out what learners, teachers and practitioners should expect from Qualifications Scotland
• involve learners, teachers and others in decision making through a Board of Management, committees and an advisory council

Part 2 of the Bill establishes the Chief Inspector and sets out what they will do and how they will operate. The Chief Inspector will:

• inspect places where education is provided and education services
• have an Advisory Council
• publish an inspection plan and reports on inspections
• publish an annual report, and reports on the performance of the Scottish education system
• tell Scottish Ministers when a school or education authority is not making necessary improvements

If the inspector finds that a school, or education authority, is not making necessary improvements Scottish Ministers can give enforcement directions if required. The Bill also gives Scottish Ministers the powers to require that improvements are made.

Current Status of the Bill

This Bill was introduced in the Scottish Parliament by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills on 4 June 2024.

Read and find out more about the Bill: Education (Scotland) Bill.

Stage 1

The Education, Children and Young People Committee has been designated as the lead Committee for the Bill. A separate call for views on the Bill’s policy provisions will be issued by the lead Committee and published on this consultation platform.

Financial Memorandum

As with all Bills, the Finance and Public Administration Committee invites written evidence on the estimated financial implications of the Bill as set out in its accompanying Financial Memorandum (FM).

Read the FM published alongside this Bill.

Making a Submission

Before making a submission, please read our Privacy Notice about submitting your views to a Committee. This tells you about how we process personal data. 

Please note that in most cases your submission will be published on the Scottish Parliament's website and may be quoted in the Committee's report or in Committee meetings (which are public and broadcast).

Please use the Questionnaire provided for your submission:

1. Did you take part in any consultation exercise preceding the Bill and, if so, did you comment on the financial assumptions made?

2. If applicable, do you believe your comments on the financial assumptions have been accurately reflected in the FM?

3. Did you have sufficient time to contribute to the consultation exercise?

4. If the Bill has any financial implications for you or your organisation, do you believe that they have been accurately reflected in the FM? If not, please provide details.

5. Do you consider that the estimated costs and savings set out in the FM are reasonable and accurate?

6. If applicable, are you content that your organisation can meet any financial costs that it might incur as a result of the Bill? If not, how do you think these costs should be met?

7. Does the FM accurately reflect the margins of uncertainty associated with the Bill’s estimated costs and with the timescales over which they would be expected to arise?

The deadline to submit your views is: Friday 30 August 2024.

We welcome written views in English, Gaelic, Scots or any other language. Due to the time required to process and analyse evidence, late submissions will only be accepted with the agreement of the Committee Clerk.