SNP MSP Fulton Macgregor asks if the attainment structure can be used to give more of a voice to the parents of children with additional learning needs.

Mr Swinney says parental involvement in education is essential.

Education Secretary John Swinney says he has received positive feedback about the Education Scotland Curriculum For Excellence document.

In August it was reported that guidance on the curriculum in schools has been welcomed by Scotland's largest teachers' union, the EIS.

The statement - stressing the importance of numeracy and literacy - was issued by John Swinney on 29 August. It was originally due to be published in time for the start of term.

The education secretary said it was designed to "reduce the burden of bureaucracy" on teachers.

The EIS said turning the "rhetoric into reality" was now the challenge.

Image source, Getty Images

Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott says Education Scotland have dispatched 62 pages of benchmarks to science teachers, for example, and he asks how this vast amount of paper can help teachers.

Mr Swinney says in terms of literacy and numeracy the benchmarks are the definitive ones.

He says not everyone has to be conversant with all the documents, with teacher able to take the benchmarks relevant to them.

Mr Swinney says there will be opportunities for the attainment fund to be used to support children with additional support needs.

He says GIRFEC means that the government are looking to support children's individual needs.

Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer asks if the government feel that many children's additional needs are not being bet because they are not diagnosed due to shortages in local authority support.

Mr Swinney says funds should be used to help children with any educational or learning barriers.

The deputy first minister says some assessments of support needs is not a straightforward process but there is a duty on the local authority to make sure the assessment is undertaken.

As John Swinney gives evidence to the committee his children and early years minister is extolling the virtues of the baby box at the CiS conference.

Philip Sim points out that the government have stolen the opposition parties thunder somewhat on the final point in the motion, by arranging a statement on the Audit Scotland NHS report before the debate.

Image source, SCOTTISH BORDERS COUNCIL

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has promised a continued focus on improving attainment in education during a visit to the Scottish Borders.

She met with pupils and staff at Burnfoot Community School in Hawick on the first day of their new term.

It is one of two primaries in the region benefiting from the Scottish Attainment Challenge programme.

The latest allocation of £2.8m is being distributed to 46 primaries across 12 local authorities.

It is part of the £750m that the Scottish government said it intended to invest in the Attainment Scotland Fund over the course of this parliament.

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MSPs now quiz John Swinney about tackling the attainment gap.

Conservative MSP Liz Smith asks about the quality assurance for the exam process.

Mr Swinney says quality assurance is an absolute necessity.

He says it is intolerable if there are errors in the exam paper.

John Swinney says free movement of individuals should not be underestimated, as an end to this could cause a skills shortage.

Mr Swinney says these points must be properly understood by the UK government. 

Conservative MSP Ross Thomson asks about investment in a skilled workforce.

Mr Swinney says the government intends to use the funds that arise from the apprenticeship levy on its skills agenda.

Mr Thomson asks what steps the government are taking to improve the relationship between colleges and and the world of work. 

The deputy first minister says the connection between business and academic courses must be strong. 

He says the government is focusing on encouraging work in this area and is already establishing greater connections, but more work can be done. 

Mr Swinney pays tribute to the Developing Scotland's Young Workforce report, external and the findings from it, which are being actively pursued. 

Scots in lower-skilled jobs are less likely to progress to higher-skilled ones than in the rest of the UK and much of Europe, a report found in June.

Image source, Thinkstock

It also found a shortage of suitable skills at middle career level.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) Scotland said skills training has some elements that perform at least as well as the rest of Britain

But it concluded that training for those aged 16 and over is not focused on current or future demand.

Image source, Thinkstock

The committee moves on to the theme of skills, beginning with the apprenticeship levy. 

The apprenticeship levy, which from April 2017 will impose a levy of 0.5% on company payrolls to raise £3bn a year to fund three million apprenticeships, has caused significant concern for employers.  

Funding for colleges comes principally from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) – with this budget accounting for approximately 70 per cent of college income. 

• The Scottish Government budget to the SFC for colleges in 2014-15 was £548 million.
•  Audit Scotland points out in Scotland’s Colleges 2016 that Scottish Government funding to the sector has decreased by 18 per cent between 2010/11 and 2014/15. 
• Overall funding for 2015/16 will be increased by 0.2 per cent from the 2014/15 level. 
• The total proposed allocation for 2016/17 represents a reduction of 1.4 per cent (£7.9 million) from the 2014/15 level (SPICe paper).  

Image source, bbc

The education secretary says there has been a shift on emphasis from part time to full time courses but the idea is to get more people to positive destinations. 

Ms Lamont asks if the NUS are wrong in saying that the courses that have been scrapped are negatively impacting women and disabled students.

Mr Swinney says the evidence does not suggest that because there are more women accessing full time college courses. 

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The overall performance of students at Scotland's colleges has slipped, according to a report by the body that provides most of their cash.

The report says there was a 1.9% drop in the performance of students last year.

The figure is contained in a mostly positive report by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) on college mergers.

Between 2012 and 2014 there were 10 mergers involving 27 different institutions.

Across Scotland, colleges have merged with each other to create a series of so-called "regional super-colleges".

Labour MSP Johann Lamont says, if there is a cap on college places, then potential college students will find it more difficult to get onto courses.

Ms Lamont also asks about the drop out rate in further education. 

Mr Swinney says there must be a focus on allowing people to reach positive destinations. 

He says the number of part time courses in further and higher education has remained stable. 

The deputy first minister says short courses have been deprioritised but these were often courses of around five hours and enrollment was dropping.

The Audit Scotland colleges report found:

• The number of under-25s on full-time courses increased by 14% over the last eight years
• There has been a fall in overall student numbers - the biggest falls were among women and the over 25s
• Part-time student numbers fell by 48% between 2007-08 and 2014-15

Image source, Thinkstock

• Staff numbers fell by 9% between 2011-2012, and 2013-14, but increased by 5% the following year
• The number of students who completed all or part of their course (retention rates) increased year-on-year from 59% to 66% between 2009-10 and 2013-14. It dropped to 64% in 2014-15
• Attainment dropped in 2014-15, after steadily increasing since 2009-10
• The sector's financial health is "relatively stable" but four colleges face "challenges"