Changes to our education system
It is now just over four months since I was appointed as the Education Secretary.
In that time, I have had the privilege to seeing at first hand the many strengths of our education system and the solid foundations it creates for young people in Scotland.
I have visited many schools around the country, talked to teachers, pupils and parents, and listened carefully to the issues they believe require attention to improve Scottish education.
As a government, we have also been fortunate to receive considered advice from our newly-appointed International Council of Education Advisers.
As a country, we are benefiting from the input of a very distinguished group of educationalists who have made a significant contribution to the development of teaching practice around the world.
One of those advisers, Dr Avis Glaze, from Ontario in Canada, commented that she felt Scotland had a strong education system but the heart-warming point was that we were not resting on our laurels.
That is both a reassuring and a challenging assessment that should drive us on to ensure our education system delivers for young people.
My objective over the last few months has been to reduce the workload of teachers to enable them to concentrate on teaching.
The more time we can ensure teachers are able to spend educating young people, the more we will see a positive impact on the attainment gap in our education system.
I have taken three main steps to tackle this workload issue. This first is that I have acted to ensure there is clear, definitive, guidance in place on what we expect young people to learn in the curriculum. Secondly, I have asked the Inspectorate of Education to advise me on how effective local authorities have been in reducing bureaucracy in our schools. They told me there was still a lot of work to do but that Perth and Kinross Council has made significant impact in tackling this issue at a local level. Thirdly, I have acted to reduce the burden of assessment on pupils sitting National 5 and Highers. This will reduce workload of teachers and will also have a beneficial effect on young people whose wellbeing has been affected by the volume of assessment they have faced.
To formulate this agenda, I have taken care to listen to the views of pupils, teachers and parents and to ensure I concentrate on taking the correct steps to strengthen Scottish education.
It has been interesting and heartening going round schools in recent weeks hearing of the impact of these changes and the flexibility that will now be created to ensure teachers can concentrate on improving attainment.
My priority is to deliver excellence and equity in Scottish education.
We must aim to deliver the very best and we must act to ensure everybody is able to reach their full potential.
That must be the promise of our education system which we must ensure is world class for every child in Scotland.