Experts issue warning on changes to school system

EXPERTS have warned that Scottish Government efforts to raise attainment in schools risked moving away from the ethos of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE).

They also cautioned ministers against becoming too focused on changing the structure of Scotland’s education system.

The concerns were outlined by the International Council of Education Advisers as the Government seeks to implement a series of reforms, including the introduction of standardised testing as part of the national improvement framework (NIF) and more powers for headteachers.

The news comes just days after the Evening Times revealed how schools in Glasgow were getting £7.6m to help tackle the attainment gap.

The funding, part of £45m across Scotland, will be used to target the country’s most deprived children, with nine local authorities including Glasgow and another 72 individual schools set to benefit.

The expert panel, appointed by the government in 2016, said further improvements are needed in the way some subjects are taught in the classroom while more needs to be done to unleash untapped leadership potential in schools and increase collaboration.

But it noted caution on policies aimed at driving up performance.

In a report on its initial findings, the panel said: “Both CfE and the NIF share a clear and positive narrative of a bold nature which, if applied consistently, will help to raise attainment and close the povertyrelated attainment gap.

“However, the council was concerned that, in the drive to deliver clarity of purpose for all those involved in Scottish education, there was a risk that education policy was moving away from the ‘whole child’ approach of CfE.”

On governance reforms, the advisers said it was important to consider how to “de-clutter” the system without damaging it.