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Scotland’s new Chief Constable, Phil Gormely appeared before the Public Audit Committee
Finance, constitution and economy ministers took the hot seat for portfolio questions
Labour led a debate calling on education spending to be protected in real terms over the next five years
Labour MSP Margaret McCulloch led a member’s debate marking International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.
Scottish Labour MSP Margaret McCulloch uses her member's debate to highlight the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.
MSP reject the Labour call for education spending to be protected in real terms over the next five years, in its motion, by voting for the Scottish government amendment.
In an extremely tight vote, 61 MSPs back the amended motion, with 60 MSPs voting against it.
61 MSPs backed the amendment from the education secretary and 59 voted against, with one abstention.
The Conservative and Lib Dem amendments both fell.
Mr Gray says the Scottish government has cut hundreds of millions of pounds from local authorities, which pay for schools and teachers.
The Labour MSP says these cuts damage schools.
He calls on MSPs come together and make a promise that for the next five years they will use the powers of this parliament to protect education.
Scottish Labour's opportunity spokesperson says the argument that the SCRIT is not progressive is nonsense, just listen to the finance secretary who said it was progressive.
He concludes asking if MSPs will rise to the occasion and vote to protect Scotland's education system for the next five years.
Scottish Labour's opportunity spokesperson Iain Gray says education is the best chance of a better life, referring to his time teaching in Mozambique.
Mr Gray says Scotland should be willing to protect its education system as its very first priority.
The former Scottish Labour leader says we have to be prepared to stand up for education.
He lambasts the Scottish government's record on education citing falling teacher numbers, increased class sizes and falling college place.
Mr Allan says there is much more to do in closing the attainment gap, but there are promising signs of progress.
Labour MSP Alex Rowley says cutting classroom assistants increases pressure on teachers.
The minister says yes there has been a huge work load on teachers, which is why he is tackling bureaucracy giving teachers time to teach.
Mr Allan says the SNP's policies are focused on helping those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.
Learning Minister Alasdair Allan says at times this debate has effectively been about reality and fantasy.
Mr Allan says the reality of Scotland's education system is inspiring.
The minister says funding for education has in fact increased by 1% in cash terms.
He says councils have indicated they are spending 3.3% more on education in cash terms.
Scottish Conservative MSP Mary Scanlon says not only is the relationship with local authorities at an all time low, but the SNP has managed to have a battle with every single university in Scotland.
Image source, PAMs Scanlon says: "My goodness they know how to create problems."
Conservative MSP Mary Scanlon says she would like to look at a spend to save policy.
It's a policy to help close the attainment gap, she says.
Ms Scanlon says helping children with counselling in early school life can help to improve attainment, behaviour and attendance.
She says school based councillors is being rolled out in England but in Scotland the government is not progressive enough.
Mr McArthur says the SNP have opted for savage cuts and blaming Westminster rather than using new tax powers and developing a pupil premium and reparing the damage to the college sector.
The Lib Dem MSP calls for a pupil premium funded by an income tax increases of 1p
He insists raising income tax by 1p is progressive.
The Lib Dem MSP says SNP Members solely want to focus on the earnings side and accuses them of "statistical chicanery".
Scottish Lib Dem education spokesperson Liam McArthur says there are many areas where Scotland's education is genuinely world class.
However, Mr McArthur says the OECD report gave ample evidence of the warnings about education here.
He criticises the attainment fund as an area based approach which ignores or underplays poverty and deprivation across the country.
The Lib Dem MSP also speaks out against standardised testing in primary schools.
SNP MSP Mark McDonald says there has been an element of double standards in this debate.
Mr McDonald says if Labour want to throw stones they should step out of their glass houses before doing so.
The SNP MSP says in his constituency schools have merged to move pupils from buildings that were not fit for purpose to state-of-the-art learning facilities.
He says he welcomes the promise from the minister to review how schools deliver education for children with additional learning needs.
Mr McDonald ends by saying Labour should layout how the rebate scheme will work.
SNP MSP Stuart McMillan says one of the biggest challenges is parents who don't really see university as something for them or their family.
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale asks Mr McMillan if he would be prepared to pay a bit more tax.
Mr McMillan says he is prepared to pay more tax, but he is not prepared to ask those on lower incomes to pay more tax.
He says education under the Scottish government is progressing and moving forward and Labour's sums do not add up.
The OECD review also highlighted some "problems and challenges", including:
Labour MSP Drew Smith asks if it is in order to repeatedly call others hypocrites and refuse to engage in debate, citing SNP MSP Joan McAlpine.
Deputy Presiding Officer John Scott says that is not a point of order, but says there is some time for members to take interventions if they wish.
SNP MSP Joan McAlpine says taxing postal workers, nurses and others more doesn't seem to be the way to tackle educational attainment to her.
Ms McAlpine says it is important to look at the budget as a whole because things such as health and housing are being protected by Westminster Tory cuts.
The SNP MSP says the government would like to protect every area but you cannot when your budget is being cut by 12.5%.
She closes by saying Labour are displaying hypocrisy because some local governments are handing back funds.
Ms Lamont asks why the SNP have moved so quickly to rubbish Labour's proposal.
"As a young school teacher, I was blessed to get a job straight away", she says.
The Labour MSP says she was employed during the height of Thatcherism and tax hikes and that should put Labour's one pence tax increase request into perspective.
She closes by asking for the motion to be supported and asking for an end to the scaremongering.
Labour MSP Johann Lamont says SNP MSP George Adam probably does not consider himself a Tory but the speech he has just given reflects one.
The former teacher says that the squabbling in the chamber today is something school children would be ashamed of.
Ms Lamont says there is something distasteful about persuading those on low incomes to be against measures that would help education.
It's like using low earners as a "human shield", she says.
The review of the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) was undertaken by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The OECD review, commissioned by the Scottish government, focused on the "broad general education" element of the curriculum up the age of 15 and found "much to be positive about", including:
SNP MSP George Adam says the Scottish government has put the work on attainment at the top of the agenda.
Mr Adam says there are clear upward trends in attainment and positive destinations.
This is not an education system in decline, but one that strives to do better he says.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats have proposed increasing income tax rates by 1p to raise extra funds for schools.
The Liberal Democrats have proposed spending the money raised by the tax hike on education
The party said the change to rates would raise £475m a year, which it would put towards Scottish education.
It would be spent on a "pupil premium" to fund children from more deprived backgrounds, early learning, childcare and college provision, and giving money to councils for schools.