Joanna Murphy says more and more pupils are staying for the full final three years.

The NPFS representative points out this is a completely new system and parents don't know about it.

"We need to put a lot more support into helping parents understand the system."

Every school offers five Highers, but the whole school cannot be run just for the pupils taking five subjects at that level, she adds.

Labour MSP Johann Lamont asks if pupils should have a right to take a certain number of subjects.

Eileen Prior says the focus on numbers means we might be losing sight of the point of CfE, which was designed to ensure all young people could succeed.

"The focus on numbers takes our eye off the ball."

Ms Prior insists it is more important the school community understands what is needed to enable young people to do what they want to do.

Linda O'Neill points out looked after children can miss out on extracurricular activities.

Young people who are looked after often attain at lower levels, she explains.

Image source, bbc

Joanna Murphy says education is for all young people, not just the highly motivated.

Having to move school to take subject can be difficult as young people "want to be part of the gang", she elucidates.

Asked about pupils travelling between schools to widen subject choices, Joanna Murphy highlights urban schools might be close together but this might not be possible for rural areas.

She points out travel time would have to be taken into account.

Ms Murphy suggests the distance should be resolved by digital solutions, with video links allowing children to stay in their school while being taught from another.

Linda O'Neill of CELCIS says looked after children might not be able to cope emotionally with travelling because they need to feel safe in their schools.

Image source, bbc

Last week the education committee heard from academics on subject choice.

Professor Jim Scott from the University of Dundee told MSPs

• Roughly half of Scotland's secondary schools are doing six courses in S4
• 'I really find it difficult to say there is any improvement at all'
• There isn't a 'here is how it's going' in CfE and called for a mid-session review

Image source, bbc

Dr Alan Britton from Glasgow University said:

• education governance accountability remains opaque

William Hardie from the Royal Society of Edinburgh said:

• multi-course teaching is a particular issue in the sciences

Image source, bbc

Magaidh Wentworth from the Comann nam Pàrant says there has been a decline in number of Gaelic speakers and the limitation to six subjects at National 5 is one of the factors behind this.

Children should be given the opportunity to leave school with at least one qualification in Gaelic.

Image source, PA

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was asked about subject choice at her weekly Holyrood question session last week, and insisted that the education system was "performing well".

She said that "our focus must be on the whole school experience, the range of qualifications that are achieved and the destinations of young people when they leave school".

In exchanges with Tory MSP Liz Smith, she said: "I hope that everyone in the chamber accepts that it is not simply the qualifications that young people get in S4 that count, but the qualifications that they get across the three years.

"This is what I say to parents - the evidence shows that more young people are going to university, including more young people from our deprived communities.

"The evidence suggests, contrary to the assertion that young people, particularly those in deprived communities, are somehow being disadvantaged, that the attainment gap is closing. That is the reverse of the concern that Liz Smith raises."

Eileen Prior from Connect explains that the flexibility of CfE has not been embraced across the board.

She highlights some students are being asked to do National 4 and 5s when they could be going straight to Highers.

Joanna Murphy says there is optimism that the changes are beginning to be made across the board now, as schools are able to look at how others are doing it.

Eileen Prior from Connect says the information coming from schools in terms of the curriculum will rarely be challenged by parents.

There is a need for conversations about the options and there is a nuance missing in many schools.

Image source, bbc

Linda O'Neill from CELCIS explains some children's parents have had very poor educational experiences themselves.

Ms O'Neill says parents don't understand the curriculum.

"They actually feel quite anxious about engaging with schools."

Is information being shared adequately and successfully, asks Mr Scott.

Not adequately or successfully enough replies Ms Murphy.

She argues schools must provide information to parents with children at every year, which she accepts is a big ask for schools but warns there is not a good understanding of CfE.

The National Parent Forum rep suggests basic information has been lost sometimes.

Image source, Getty Images

More than half of the pupils who responded to a Holyrood survey said they were not able to take all of the subjects they wanted to at school.

The Scottish Parliament's education committee ran surveys as part of its inquiry into subject choice in schools.

Some pupils complained about having to take "useless subjects" that they "hated" because their preferred options were not available.

Nicola Sturgeon has insisted that the education system is "performing well".

Read more here.

Image source, bbc

Committee convener Clare Adamson gets proceedings underway by welcoming the witnesses.

Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott says the committee has struggled to discover the origins of the construction of the current subject choices situation we are in.

Were you involved in this construction he asks.

"Simple answer, no," replies Eileen Prior from Connect.

Joanna Murphy from the National Parent Forum of Scotland explains her organisation was only party to discussions about how it would work, not in the construction of the Curriculum for Excellence.

Parents don't know what is happening with the CfE, she elucidates.

Image source, bbc

The Education and Skills Committee will now continue its subject choices inquiry taking evidence from:

• Eileen Prior from Connect, external
• Joanna Murphy from the National Parent Forum of Scotland, external
• Linda O'Neill from the Centre for excellence for looked after children in Scotland (CELCIS), external
• Magaidh Wentworth from the Comann nam Pàrant, external

Image source, BENIS ARAPOVIC

Good morning and welcome to Holyrood Live on Wednesday 1 May 2019.

Lack of subject choices in state schools is the focus of the education committee as it hears from parents’ organisations.

Education is the theme again in portfolio questions

………and again as the Tories have the floor, with their debate covering subject choices again.

Finally SNP MSP Fulton Macgregor will lead a debate about deferring entry to P1.