New SNP minister Russell suffers education defeat

Mike Russell appointed education secretary: From Democracy Live

The Scottish government has suffered a defeat in parliament on education policy, just hours after MSPs voted in the SNP's new education secretary.

Mike Russell warned his opponents to "stop making a crisis out of a problem" as he moved to tackle the issues facing the system.

MSPs backed a parliamentary motion accusing ministers of presiding over "a series of failures" in education.

The SNP has been attacked on issues like class sizes and teacher numbers.

The defeat came on the back of a Liberal Democrat-led debate at Holyrood.

Meanwhile, the row over Scotland's education system spilled over into first minister's questions, when Alex Salmond was accused of misleading parliament on cutting class sizes.

The ministerial reshuffle, which saw Mr Russell become education secretary in place of Fiona Hyslop, came after figures showed a fall in teacher numbers of 1,348 over the past year.

More newly qualified teachers are stuck at home watching Jeremy Kyle instead of teaching in our schools Margaret Smith Liberal democrat education spokeswoman

The SNP has come under fire over its 2007 manifesto pledge to cap pupil numbers at 18 in the first three years of primary education.

In September, ministers said they would bring in legislation to cap numbers at 25 pupils and only in primary one, sparking opposition party claims the Scottish government had dropped one of its key policies.

In his first Holyrood debate as education secretary, Mr Russell said higher and advanced higher pass rates were at a record high, while standard grade passes were at their highest since 2000.

Setting out a vision for a "world-beating" education system, he added: "There is still work to do, but I think it's deeply irresponsible for politicians to make a crisis out of a problem because using that language debases the work of all the thousands of professionals.

Mr Russell went on: "Things are not hunky dory, but they are not a crisis."

Margaret Smith, education spokeswoman for the Liberal Democrats, who led the debate in parliament, said the SNP made promises it could not keep.

Brian Taylor Political editor Will Alex Salmond be found to have misled parliament? I very much doubt it. There is the defence re the concordat, there is the more general point that officials advise and ministers decide. Had there been a private quotation from Mr Salmond to the effect that the policy was futile, then different story. However, these exchanges, deftly pursued by Iain Gray, add to the impression of difficulty with this portfolio: an impression given rather noted substance, of course, by the removal of the incumbent. Read Brian Taylor's blog

"More and more newly qualified teachers are stuck at home watching Jeremy Kyle instead of teaching in our schools," she said, adding: "The cabinet secretary needs to look again at this crucial issue."

Labour education spokesman Des McNulty said action was needed to stop new teachers "drifting away" from the profession, while telling MSPs: "Nearly all the progress that has been made on class sizes in the last 10 years was made under Labour ministers."

Murdo Fraser, the deputy Tory leader, said the whole government was to blame for education failures.

He said: "We are slipping down the international comparison tables and it is now clear that school education in England is consistently outperforming Scotland."

Meanwhile, during question time, Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray accused Mr Salmond of sacking Ms Hyslop "to save his own skin".

Mr Gray said the first minister had said in September 2007 that reducing class sizes to 18 for primary 1-3 would be delivered in the lifetime of the parliament.

But two months previously, a senior civil servant told education experts "the scale of the commitment does not allow it to be delivered in the lifetime of a parliament", the Labour leader went on.

Mr Salmond said the goal was to achieve progress on a "year to year" basis, and accused Labour councils of being responsible for most of the decline in teacher numbers in Scotland.

The SNP and the Tories voted in favour of Mr Russell becoming education secretary, with Labour and the Liberal Democrats abstaining.

His appointment was approved by 58 votes to zero, with 52 abstentions.