Scottish Budget 2021 to 2022

The Scottish Budget sets out the Scottish Government’s proposed spending and tax plans for 2021 to 2022, as presented to the Scottish Parliament.


Chapter 8 Education and Skills

Portfolio Responsibilities

Improving the life chances of our children and young people through excellence and equity in education continues to be the principal mission of this government. Education and Skills portfolio invests in changing lives for the better and underpins key government priorities, in particular, promoting population wellbeing, tackling child poverty, and building sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

This budget, including funding delivered through the local government settlement, will therefore:

  • Invest over £30 million to support our schools to mitigate the impacts of COVID on the learning experiences of our children and young people.
  • Invest a further £59 million to deliver on our commitment to expand funded early learning and childcare from 600 hours to 1140 hours to all three and four year olds and eligible two year olds, bringing our additional annual revenue investment to £567 million.
  • Work to deliver a statutory financial redress scheme for survivors of child abuse in care and to make advanced payments to elderly and ill survivors.
  • Keep The Promise to implement the findings of the independent Care Review.
  • invest over £60 million of additional resource and capital funding in universities and their students to support the development of well-educated, highly skilled people and securing world-class research and cutting edge innovation.

Ensuring the best start in life for every child is key to delivering our priorities, and a clear focus for our policies and spending plans is to continue to ensure every child will grow up loved, safe and respected so that they reach their maximum potential. In 2021-22 we will:

  • work hard through the Scottish Attainment Challenge to accelerate and deepen recovery, and to focus on those who need it most, recognising that the equity audit has shown that COVID has had a negative impact on the attainment gap;
  • incorporate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into law; and
  • deliver on our commitment to the expansion of early learning and childcare.

Our further and higher education sectors and skills provision priorities will also continue to support the development of well-educated, highly skilled people, supporting sustainable and inclusive growth and delivering our Young Person's Guarantee. In 2021‑22 we will:

  • boost resources for our colleges to mitigate the effects of COVID, including the challenges of blended learning;
  • maintain our links with Europe following the UK's exit from the EU and promote Scottish learning and research internationally through our Global Alumni Network and expansion of our Saltire Scholarship Programme;
  • provide support for our world-leading university research to allow Higher Education Institutions to secure substantial additional funding from other research funders and strengthen international collaboration opportunities - including COVID research projects; and
  • offer apprenticeship opportunities that are open to all by investing through Skills Development Scotland (SDS) to maximise apprenticeship starts.
Table 8.01: Spending Plans (Level 2)
Level 2 2019-20 Budget 2020-21 Budget 2021-22 Budget
£m £m £m
Learning 257.8 297.8 316.5
Children and Families 123.9 149.7 182.4
Early Learning and Childcare Programme 40.5 39.8 39.8
Higher Education Student Support 922.5 925.6 1,399.3
Scottish Funding Council 1,839.3 1,880.1 1,911.0
Advanced Learning and Science 10.0 13.4 20.5
Skills and Training 254.0 264.1 270.2
Allocation of COVID Consequentials - - 68.0
Total Education and Skills 3,448.0 3,570.5 4,207.7
of which:
Total Fiscal Resource 2,657.1 2,490.1 2,698.1
of which Operating Costs 37.3 41.4 43.6
Non-cash 243.4 237.4 673.2
Capital 94.5 395.5 398.0
Financial Transactions (FTs)* 55.5 55.0 22.1
UK Funded AME 397.5 392.5 416.3

*The Financial Transactions total presented here represents the 'net' portfolio position after adjusting for forecast Financial Transactions income. To see the 'gross' or total amount of financial transactions that will be spent by the portfolio in 2021-22, please see Annex A.

Presentational Adjustments for Scottish Parliament Approval
Level 2 2019-20 Budget 2020-21 Budget 2021-22 Budget
£m £m £m
Learning (NDPB Non-cash) (2.8) (3.3) (3.7)
Children and Families (NDPB Non-cash) (1.8) (2.4) (2.7)
SFC (NDPB Non-cash) (30.4) (27.1) (27.7)
Skills & Training (NDPB Non-cash) - (0.8) (0.9)
Central Government Grants to Local Authorities 561.7 708.7 646.4
Total Education and Skills 3,974.7 4,245.6 4,819.1
Total Limit on Income (accruing resources) 350.0
Table 8.02: Learning Spending Plans (Level 3)
Level 3 2019-20 Budget 2020-21 Budget 2021-22 Budget
£m £m £m
Education Scotland 23.0 26.6 29.9
Gaelic 23.5 25.2 25.2
Curriculum and Qualifications 39.3 44.4 45.1
Workforce, Infrastructure and Reform 83.4 97.0 108.8
Education Analytical Services 4.5 5.2 4.9
Improvement, Attainment and Wellbeing 84.1 99.4 102.6
Total Learning 257.8 297.8 316.5
of which:
Fiscal Resource 251.0 285.4 304.4
Non-cash 3.2 3.7 4.0
Capital 3.6 8.7 8.1
FTs - - -
UK Funded AME - - -
Table 8.03: Children and Families Spending Plans (Level 3)
Level 3 2019-20 Budget 2020-21 Budget 2021-22 Budget
£m £m £m
Care and Justice 39.1 43.0 44.3
Care and Protection 26.8 34.5 60.3
Disclosure Scotland Expenditure 11.4 21.3 22.9
Office of the Chief Social Work Adviser 19.9 20.3 21.1
Creating Positive Futures 26.7 30.6 33.8
Total Children and Families 123.9 149.7 182.4
of which:
Fiscal Resource 114.5 134.2 164.0
Non-cash 5.5 8.5 10.5
Capital 3.9 7.0 7.9
FTs - - -
UK Funded AME - - -
Table 8.04: Early Learning and Childcare Spending Plans (Level 3)
Level 3 2019-20 Budget 2020-21 Budget 2021-22 Budget
£m £m £m
Early Learning and Childcare 40.5 39.8 39.8
of which:
Fiscal Resource 40.5 39.8 39.8
Non-cash - - -
Capital - - -
FTs - - -
UK Funded AME - - -
Table 8.05: Higher Education Student Support Spending Plans (Level 3)
Level 3 2019-20 Budget 2020-21 Budget 2021-22 Budget
£m £m £m
Student Support and Tuition Fee Payments 301.6 310.9 328.2
Student Loans Company Administration Costs 4.2 9.3 8.5
Student Loan Interest Subsidy to Bank 2.0 2.0 2.8
Cost of Providing Student Loans (RAB Charge)(Non-Cash) 203.2 196.2 629.0
Student Awards Agency for Scotland Operating Costs 12.1 12.8 12.9
SAAS Capital 1.9 1.9 1.6
Net Student Loans Advanced 550.0 545.0 585.0
Capitalised Interest (70.0) (70.0) (80.0)
Student Loan Fair Value Adjustment (84.1) (84.1) (90.0)
Student Loan Sale Subsidy Impairment Adjustment 1.6 1.6 1.3
Total Higher Education Student Support 922.5 925.6 1,399.3
of which:
Fiscal Resource 318.8 333.9 351.3
Non-cash 204.3 197.3 630.1
Capital 1.9 1.9 1.6
FTs - - -
UK Funded AME 397.5 392.5 416.3
Table 8.06: Scottish Funding Council Spending Plans (Level 3)
Level 3 2019-20 Budget 2020-21 Budget 2021-22 Budget
£m £m £m
Scottish Funding Council Administration 7.5 7.9 7.8
College Operational Expenditure 796.5 830.0 865.7
College Operational Income (190.0) (190.0) (190.0)
Net College Resource 606.5 640.0 675.7
College NPD expenditure 29.3 29.3 29.3
College Depreciation costs 30.1 26.8 27.5
HE Resource 1,025.3 743.2 768.2
College Capital Expenditure 49.6 37.4 33.7
College Capital Receipts (2.0) (1.7) -
Net College Capital 47.6 35.7 33.7
HE Capital 37.5 342.2 346.7
HE FTs 55.5 61.0 30.5
HE FTs Income - (6.0) (8.4)
Total Scottish Funding Council 1,839.3 1,880.1 1,911.0
of which:
Fiscal Resource 1,668.3 1,420.1 1,480.8
Non-cash 30.4 27.1 27.7
Capital 85.1 377.9 380.4
FTs 55.5 55.0 22.1
UK Funded AME - - -
Table 8.07: Advanced Learning and Science Spending Plans (Level 3)
Level 3 2019-20 Budget 2020-21 Budget 2021-22 Budget
£m £m £m
Higher Education 5.3 7.4 14.5
Qualifications and Accreditation 1.7 3.0 3.0
Science Engagement and Advice 3.0 3.0 3.0
Total Advanced Learning and Science 10.0 13.4 20.5
of which:
Fiscal Resource 10.0 13.4 20.5
Non-cash - - -
Capital - - -
FTs - - -
UK Funded AME - - -
Table 8.08: Employment and Training Interventions Spending Plans (Level 3)
Level 3 2019-20 Budget 2020-21 Budget 2021-22 Budget
£m £m £m
Skills Development Scotland 214.7 224.8 230.9
Employability and Skills 39.3 39.3 39.3
Total Skills and Training 254.0 264.1 270.2
of which:
Fiscal Resource 254.0 263.3 269.3
Non-cash - 0.8 0.9
Capital - - -
FTs - - -
UK Funded AME - - -
Table 8.09: Central Government Grants to Local Authorities Spending Plans (Level 3)
Level 3 2019-20 Budget 2020-21 Budget 2021-22 Budget
£m £m £m
Gaelic 4.5 4.5 4.5
Local Government Attainment Grant 120.0 120.0 120.0
Local Government ELC Grant 437.2 584.2 521.9
Education and Skills Central Government Grants to Local Authorities 561.7 708.7 646.4
of which:
Fiscal Resource 386.7 587.7 646.4
Non-cash - - -
Capital 175.0 121.0 -
FTs - - -
UK Funded AME - - -

Education and Skills contributions to the National Outcomes

Primary National Outcomes

  • Education
  • Children and Young People

Secondary National Outcomes

  • Poverty
  • Economy
  • Communities
  • Fair Work & Business
  • International
  • Human Rights
  • Health

For further information on the purpose of the portfolio budget, and contributions to national outcomes (including impacts of spend on equality of outcome) please refer to the relevant portfolio annex in the published Equalities and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement.

Contact

Email: Finance.Co-ordination@gov.scot

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