The education committee continues its inquiry into the Scottish national standardised assessments
The Scotties Tories lead debates on education and crime
An SNP MSP highlights the Equally Safe at Work scheme
SNP MSP Sandra White asks the Scottish government what analysis the culture secretary has carried out regarding the impact of Brexit on the arts and creative sector in Scotland.
Image source, bbcMr Tomkins asks what legal advice the Scottish government has taken to ensure this increase is legal, following the Supreme Court ruling on the Scottish Brexit bill.
External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop says there is nothing in that judgement that affects Scotland's ability to carry out its functions as a good global citizen.
Tory MSP Adam Tomkins asks for what reason the Scottish government's external affairs budget increased by 52% from 2017-18 to 2019-20.
Image source, PAMSPs will now quiz culture, tourism and external affairs ministers.
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Mr Dey says that the Scottish government work at directorate level is being undertaken in this regard, and adds the Scottish government resilience committee is taking the lead in preparations for a no deal.
The parliamentary business minister insists the prime minister has brought a no deal scenario even closer.
Tory MSP Adam Tomkins points out Theresa May is hosting a meeting preparing for no deal, and says the first minister was invited but is not there.
"Why not?" he asks.
Mr Dey says that question is staggering and insists Mr Russell (Scotland's Brexit secretary) is more than adequate to represent Scotland at that meeting.
The Brexit secretary is attending the UK cabinet sub-committee meeting for Brexit in Downing Street this afternoon.
Image source, bbcTory MSP Adam Tomkins
Image source, EPAMPs have rejected the current Brexit plan
The BBC has seen an unpublished document detailing Scotland's plans for handling "worse case" scenarios resulting from a no-deal Brexit.
Public disorder, reduced food supplies and disruption to transport are among the issues examined in the paper.
Agencies, including local authorities, have fed their plans into the document labelled "official sensitive".
The Scottish and UK governments are looking at what might happen if a deal to leave the EU is not agreed in time.
The date set for withdrawing from the European Union is 29 March, however, the current plan on the table has been rejected by MPs at Westminster.
Green MSP Andy Wightman asks the Scottish government whether for an update on the preparations being made by it and its agencies for a potential no deal Brexit.
Mr Burnett says the original, and largely unlawful, bill was pushed through as an emergency bill and calls for the use of these procedures again.
Parliamentary Business Minister Graeme Dey says there are ongoing discussion with opposition parties as to how to proceed.
Mr Dey insists the Scottish government's position on the Scottish EU Withdrawal Bill was vindicated by the Supreme Court: "no ifs, no buts, no maybes".
Image source, SUPREME COURTThe judgement was handed down at the Supreme Court in London
Last December the Scottish and UK government clashed after Supreme Court judges said parts of Holyrood's Brexit legislation would not be allowed to stand.
The judges said the bill "as a whole" was within Holyrood's competence, but that MSPs had acted outwith their powers in relation to one section.
MSPs passed their own Brexit bill in March after a row with UK ministers over Westminster's EU Withdrawal Bill.
But the case was then referred to the court by UK government law officers.
Tory MSP Alexander Burnett asks what discussions ministers have had with civil servants regarding the EU Withdrawal (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill since the Supreme Court’s judgement on it.
Europe Minister Ben Macpherson points to assessments that show the clear negative impact of Brexit on the life sciences sector.
Mr Macpherson cites the detriment of the removal of free movement as a whole.
He calls for flexibility in UK immigration policy by way of a Scottish visa.
SNP MSP Mike Gibson asks what assistance the Scottish government can provide to prevent Brexit damage to research and development (R&D).
The Europe and migration minister reiterates his opposition to the UK government white paper on immigration, and calls for the continuation of the Horizon 20:20 programme.
Labour MSP David Stewart asks the Scottish government what assessment it has made of the impact of Brexit on the life sciences sector.
Image source, Getty ImagesMSPs will now quiz government business and constitutional ministers.
Image source, ThinkstockMSPs will now ask constitutional ministers and then culture, tourism and external affairs ministers portfolio questions.
Image source, Getty Images/PAMSPs will raise queries on Brexit during portfolio questions.
The Tories will then lead two debates on education and crime.
SNP MSP Gail Ross will lead a member’s debate welcoming the new employer accreditation programme pilot, Equally Safe at Work.
Image source, bbcLabour MSP Iain Gray asks about Naplan (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) testing in Australia.
Sue Palmer says those tests don't start until year 3, and that the results show a developmental test is as good as predicting later academic test results, as early academic tests are.
Jackie Brock backs her up, saying SSLN results in Scotland could have been used to help children progress anyway.
Mr Brock claims standardised tests are a "narrow tool" and don't help the development of the child.
The committee draws to a close.
Image source, bbcJackie Brock insists children and young people want positive short-term learning goals, with achievements they can discuss regularly.
They don't want assessments that are essentially memory tests, says Ms Brock.
She pleas for the voice of children and young people to be reflected in the committee's recommendations on standardised testing.
Ms Palmer says there are already books to help children with P1 testing and there will no doubt be apps soon, making these tests very high stakes.
Image source, bbcTory MSP Liz Smith asks what kind of data is required to improve attainment in Scotland.
Jackie Brock from Children in Scotland replies all her members want to improve the performance.
Ms Brock says qualifications and PISA (OECD's Programme for International Assessment), external are important, but we are not using the information we already have.
She argues it is impossible to believe local authority directors of education do not know which schools are not doing well.
Standardised assessments for P1 pupils are at the centre of a political row in Scotland, with opposition parties pressing a vote on whether they should be axed. But what are they actually like?
Image source, bbcJackie Brock continues on the same theme, saying there are already a lot of guidelines for teachers.
She says there has been cross party agreement on teacher judgements and local assessments, but not standardised testing.
Ms Brock says schools are not being recognised for the good work they do, and that local authorities and the government is failing to acknowledge that.
She thinks that standardised testing is being used as a measuring tool, instead of finding out what schools are actually up to.