Although I pay tribute to all teachers who have risen to the challenge of putting in place new ways of working during the pandemic, figures compiled by Fife Council show that 20 per cent of primary school pupils and 40 per cent of secondary school pupils had not engaged with home learning by the end of May.

Clearly, missing months of schooling will set those children back significantly in comparison with their peers. What further, urgent support with the Scottish Government provide to reduce barriers to pupil engagement?

That is an important issue. None of us wants to see young people lose out on education or to be out of school for any longer than is necessary. That is why the most important strand of work in that area, which is being led by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, is that of getting our schools open again as quickly as possible and in a safe and phased way. In our judgment, that will happen on the date that we have set, which is 11 August.

We will also look to increase the number of children who can access critical childcare through the hub system that has been in place throughout the crisis. During June, we also hope to provide transition support for pupils who are going into primary school or moving from primary school to secondary school.

The point about support for home learning is important. When I set out the route map in the chamber a couple of weeks ago, I announced additional funding for electronic devices for young people in deprived areas, to make sure that they are not losing out in that way. Working with teachers and parents, we will pursue a range of other ways to ensure that home learning is a good and worthwhile experience for young people while it is still required.

I pay tribute to teachers and parents across the country for the really good work that they have been doing in very challenging circumstances.

I also thank young people themselves. This has been an incredibly difficult experience for all of them, but I think they have all responded to it magnificently well.