Ms Smith wonders whether problems with getting teachers to come in as STEM experts is due to them not getting the skills from their teaching degrees or whether it might be a confidence problem.

Mr Macgregor suggests it is probably a mixture of both.

There is a view that there is not sufficient time within a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) to focus on STEM, he adds.

Tory MSP Liz Smith focuses on staffing and the call for a specialist science teacher in every school.

Is that necessary if there is team teaching and a cluster programme to disseminate best practice, she asks.

Professor Lesley Yellowlees asks as an ultimate goal, having a specialist teacher, "what's not to like about it?"

However realistically, cluster teaching allows various teachers to come in at varying times and allows a wider range of subjects to be covered, she adds.

The academic says she thinks the cluster route is better.

Lorna Hay says STEM has primarily been delivered by one of her colleagues in the past three years, who did not have a class of her own.

There is a concern that when her colleague has her own class again next year that there will be less access to STEM, she adds.

As such Ms Hay warns against having a single specialist in schools, adding all teachers must have the skills to teach STEM.

Dr Karen Petrie wonders if recruiting one specialist STEM primary teacher might be the way to go as it might be too much to asks all teachers to be able to do everything.

Mr MacGregor concurs saying it is about having a key member of staff and providing them with the skills to work with their peers and cascade their skills.

He says SSERC has piloted a Primary Cluster Programme (PCP), external successfully.

This offers all teachers within a cluster opportunities to raise their levels of confidence and expertise in STEM.

As a cluster mentor group, these teachers then design and implement a bespoke programme of professional development for all teachers in the cluster, supported by SSERC.

SNP MSP Jenny Gilruth points out primary teachers are meant to be generalists.

Ms Gilruth asks the other witnesses if they agree primary teachers should have a level 5 qualification in STEM subjects.

There are already barriers to people becoming teachers and to add another barrier might just restrict the numbers, replies Ms Hay.

Shona Birrell replies it might be useful to have that qualification.

Teacher self-confidence in participation in STEM subject teaching is important but competence must go hand in hand with that, says Alastair MacGregor.

Professor Lesley Yellowlees says cluster teaching is vitally important and adds it is important to build on strengths and share good practice.

Everyone going into primary school teaching should have at least one science Level 5 qualification, she says.

Prof Yellowlees tells the committee too many teachers at the moment have no science background at all.

"How can you inspire our young people to take up a science subject if you have not been inspired yourself."

Ms Hay says the supply teacher picture was better in the past, according to her mother who was also a teacher.

She ponders if there should be return to a bank of supply teachers, pointing out the teacher centre in Fife was knocked down a few years ago.

Image source, Getty Images

Some Scottish schools have had to advertise multiple times in order to fill teaching posts, according to figures obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

Freedom of information requests submitted to all of Scotland's 32 local authorities found one post had been advertised as many as 14 times.

The responses also showed some open posts had had no applications.

Scottish ministers said teacher numbers were at their highest since 2010.

Read more here.

Labour MSP Iain Gray says the committee has heard of good work and good practice, but it has been driven by individuals in individual schools.

How can this be mainstreamed to ensure that pupils' experience of STEM is not down to good luck, Mr Gray asks.

Lorna Hay says building capacity within the rest of the staff in a school is key.

The primary school teacher explains any opportunity for teachers to work collegiately and share knowledge should be taken.

Ms Hay points out the bigger issue is addressing the shortage of supply teachers to release teachers from class.

Lorna Hay from Pitteuchar East Primary School tells the committee her particular interest is in engineering.

Ms Hay says there is a lack of confidence in engineering and warns against bundling STEM subjects together.

Shona Birrell from Ratho Primary School says she is also a parent of two children at nursery so she comes not only as a teacher but also as a parent.

Dr Karen Petrie of the British Computing Society says she has been told the thing that would help teachers the most would be a working internet connection.

Committee convener Clare Adamson asks if that was geographic, to which Dr Petrie replies it is widespread, although the schools she was speaking to were in Dundee.

Alastair MacGregor from the Scottish Schools Education Research Centre says his organisation provide common sense advice to ensure health and safety is not a barrier to STEM subjects being taught.

Professor Lesley Yellowlees from the Learned Societies’ Group on Scottish STEM Education explains her organisation was formed to bring together learned societies.

The committee is hearing from:

• Shona Birrell from Ratho Primary School, external
• Lorna Hay from Pitteuchar East Primary School, external
• Alastair MacGregor from the Scottish Schools Education Research Centre, external
• Dr Karen Petrie of the British Computing Society, external
• Professor Lesley Yellowlees from the Learned Societies’ Group on Scottish STEM Education, external

Image source, bbc

First, the committee is considering:

• Education (Scotland) Act 1980 (Modification) Regulations
• Abertay University (Scotland) Order of Council

No recommendations are made.

Image source, Getty Images

The Education and Skills Committee is hearing from primary school teachers and other stakeholders this morning as it continues its inquiry into STEM education.

MSPs are focusing on the experiences of children aged three to seven years old.

Read the committee papers here., external

Image source, Getty Images

Welcome to Holyrood Live on Wednesday 12 June 2019.

This morning the education committee is taking evidence on STEM (science, maths, engineering and technology) in early years education.

The chamber will convene at an earlier time of 13:15 as Tory MSP Miles Briggs leads a debate on lung disease.

Portfolio questions will cover transport and justice.

Image source, AFP/PA

Then Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham will make the annual greenhouse gas emissions statement, followed by Veterans Minister Graeme Dey providing an update on the veterans strategy.

MSPs will debate the Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill for the final time.

Ending the day is a member's debate on housing co-operatives led by Labour MSP Johann Lamont.