By Democrat reporter
University tuition fees and who will fund them in the future if the SNP government is ousted at the next Scottish Parliament election was up for discussion at Holyrood on Thursday.
SNP member George Adam asked: “Does the First Minister find it concerning that the Labour United Kingdom Government has announced that university tuition fees will rise to £9,535 per year?
“Michael Marra has hinted that Labour would examine models to reintroduce some form of charges in Scotland and the Tory leader, Russell Findlay, has spoken openly about ending free tuition.
Labour’s Michael Marra and Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay appear to want to introduce them, but John Swinney says “education should be based on the ability to learn and not on the ability to pay.
“Does the First Minister agree that education should always be based on the ability to learn, rather than on the ability to pay?”
First Minister John Swinney assured him: “I agree with Mr Adam on the principle that education should be based on the ability to learn and not on the ability to pay.
“As a consequence of the policy stance that the Government has taken, record numbers of Scots secure a university place in Scotland and record numbers of Scots from deprived areas secure places at university without having to face the tens of thousands of pounds of debt that the Opposition parties seem determined to saddle them with.
“That is what people get from the Scottish National Party Government delivering for the people of Scotland, delivering access to higher education and ensuring that people are not saddled with the debt that they would be saddled with if the tuition fees in other parts of the United Kingdom were applied.”
On education for school pupils who require additional needs, Tory MSP Roz McCall told parliament: “My constituent Vicki Tocher’s son, Isaac, is a seven-year-old child who has a brain disorder and autism, which has left him with the developmental age of a one-year-old.
“At school, Isaac was segregated and became distressed. He was left alone for so long that he banged his head off a wall to the point of injury. Horrifyingly, that happened while he was being watched from behind a closed door by members of staff.
“The door was kept closed on him when he tried to come out, and staff failed to report to his parents what had happened. That is unacceptable. What will the Scottish Government do to ensure that all schools in Scotland have specific training and resources to make sure that what happened to Isaac never happens again?”
Mr Swinney replied: “I am very concerned at the details that Roz McCall has put to me. The whole question of support for young people with additional support needs in our schools is very clearly set out in guidance.
“There are no circumstances under which what Roz McCall has recounted should take place, given the guidance that is available to the school system.
“I have extensive experience of such issues from my years as education secretary, during which I engaged with Beth Morrison and with one of my constituents who has done significant work in raising awareness about the issues that Roz McCall has put to me.
“I cannot conceive of a circumstance under which any of the detail that Roz McCall has put on the record would be justifiable under the guidance.
“I assure her that the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills [Jenny Gilruth] is actively engaged on the question in relation to the formulation of further guidance, and we are engaging on some of the questions that arise in that respect in the bill that has been brought forward by [Labour MSP]Daniel Johnson.”
Huntington’s Disease was discussed next when SNP member Fulton MacGregor (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) revealed that during this parliamentary session, members from every party had acknowledged that Scotland has a much higher prevalence of Huntington’s disease than the global average.
He said: “There is a growing need for specialist Huntington’s disease services to be provided to national health service patients throughout Scotland
“In light of that, and as the Scottish Huntington’s Association approaches its 35th anniversary and family gathering, will the Scottish Government meet representatives of the charity to discuss what the Government can do to assist it to deliver on both the call for increased services and its mission of achieving the best possible care and support for everyone who is impacted by Huntington’s disease in Scotland?”
“Through our neurological framework, we have been working hard to improve neurological services across Scotland. My officials previously met the charity to better understand the needs of people with Huntington’s disease.
“The Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health [Jenny Minto] will be happy to meet the charity’s representatives to further discuss the provision of Huntington’s care in Scotland, and I will be delighted to encourage the taking forward of dialogue with the Scottish Government neurological conditions team.”