Centre for Teaching Excellence feedback: FOI release

Information requested

Any feedback received by the Scottish Government on its plans for a Centre of Teaching Excellence, including any feedback from the Scottish Board for Teacher Education.

Response

I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested via email.

Some of the information you have requested is available from the publications section of the Scottish Government website at Strategic Board for Teacher Education minutes: November 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under section s.38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested.

This exemption regulates the relationship between FOISA, the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (the DPA 2018). It is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

An exemption under section s.27(1)(information held with a view to publication) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. The reason this exemption applies is that the information is due for publication within 12 weeks of your request.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

We recognise that there is some public interest in early release because stakeholders are interested in the feedback the Scottish Government has received regarding the development of the Centre for Teaching Excellence. However, it is important that meeting notes are accurate, reliable, and verified by those who attended. This requires the Scottish Government to follow appropriate governance and quality assurance processes prior to publishing information. We have therefore found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption to allow this process to complete.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202400398970 - Information released - Annex

File type

20 page PDF

File size

181.0 kB