The Public Audit Committee looks at reports published by the Auditor General for Scotland to examine whether public money is being spent efficiently and effectively.
On 27 February 2025, the Auditor General for Scotland published Additional support for learning.
The report says "Forty per cent of all pupils receive additional support for learning (ASL), with the proportion in Scotland’s most deprived areas almost double that in the least deprived areas. There has been an almost eightfold increase in pupils recorded as receiving ASL since the ASL Act was introduced in 2004. The reasons for this growth are complex. They include the inclusive approach to ASL in the ASL Act, intended to meet the diverse additional support needs of pupils, along with changes to data recording and increasing awareness of needs.
The report was discussed at the following Committee meetings in relation to its work programme:
Minutes of the meeting on 5 March 2025:
The Committee considered correspondence from the Auditor General for Scotland and agreed to consider the briefing on Additional support for learning as part of its work programme.
The Committee has sent and received the following correspondence during scrutiny of the report:
Correspondence to the Convener from Stephen Boyle, the Auditor General for Scotland, 27 February 2025