Willie Rennie: 'Put education at heart of Covid recovery'

Scottish LibDem leader Willie Rennie has called for education to be put at the heart of Scotland's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Rennie told delegates at the party's virtual autumn conference that the country needed hope and unity after a "decade of division".

He also praised the partnership working brought about by the health crisis.

And Mr Rennie claimed his party are a credible alternative to the "chaos" offered by opponents.

He predicted the Holyrood election in May will set the direction of the country for the next decade but expressed hope that the "great adversity" of the virus could deliver a "new politics".

'Years of arguments'

In his keynote address, which was broadcast live online, Mr Rennie argued that politicians from different parties should come together to provide a "needle-sharp focus" on key issues, such as providing more green jobs, improving childcare and mental health services.

But he added: "At the heart of the recovery must be education."

The Scottish LibDem leader said the public have been left "exhausted" by the pandemic and "years of arguments" about Brexit and independence.

He added: "People want a bit of hope, of unity, of partnership.

"If the last decade was about what divides us, let us make the next decade not just about what unites us but much more importantly about what makes our lives better."

'Vehicle for change'

Mr Rennie presented the party as a "vehicle for change".

He added: "A change from the decade of division with the Conservatives and SNP, of Boris Johnson, of Alex Salmond, of independence, of Brexit.

"And for the next decade we don't need to choose between the chaos of Boris Johnson and the chaos of independence.

"There is another way. The Scottish Liberal Democrats represent a third way. The third way means working in partnership."

He told delegates the education system must be "overseen by people with current teaching experience", calling for both the Scottish Qualifications Authority and Education Scotland to have more staff seconded in from schools and colleges.

Mr Rennie also promised teachers will "lead a literacy task force to change the primary school curriculum to make sure that no child slips through the net on reading and writing".

'Teacher-led education'

Mr Rennie also pledged that in secondary schools the party would work to bring back principal teachers for the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths.

He called for a review of teacher pay and conditions and added: "By this time next year I want teacher-led education in place in Scotland.

"I want teachers to be at the centre of how we make Scottish education the best again."

The Scottish Lib Dem leader insisted Scotland needs an "industrial partnership for economic recovery" from Covid.

Mr Rennie went on to speak about how the pandemic had created a "moment of reckoning" for the care system.

Here he said there should be a "proper pay rise for care workers" as well as new "career structure to reward them, and give them all a career ladder that boosts their skills and pay at every step".

Mr Rennie argued: "This should be the positive legacy from this pandemic. A social care system for elderly people, for sick people, for people in need, that we can all be proud of."