Exams cancellation the latest blow in decade of disaster, says McConnell
THE cancellation of next year’s school exams is the latest blow in the SNP’s ‘decade of disaster’ on education, according to a former First Minister.
Jack McConnell has launched a scathing attack on the SNP’s record in power following last week’s decision to cancel all Higher and Advanced Higher exams.
The former Labour MSP, now a member of the House of Lords, said a series of decisions made by the SNP has led to declining education standards.
It comes as education experts demanded full details of the exam results process for next year in order to avoid another fiasco.
Lord McConnell, who was First Minister from 2001 to 2007, told the Sunday Mail: ‘There are people in the Scottish Government who think you can organise a referendum at a few months’ notice.
‘These same people have just cancelled exams at six months’ notice. This indicates a lack of ambition, determination, application and hard work.
‘All the things that we want in our education system we can
‘Lacking in leadership’
see lacking in the leadership of the education system itself.’
He said action was needed to address the impact that coronavirus is having on the most disadvantaged pupils, including a shake-up of the Curriculum for Excellence, the creation of a new inspectorate free from political influence, a review of teacher contracts, and a nationally driven programme to close the attainment gap.
He also wants to see an overhaul of the collection of statistics so standards may be compared to previous years and other countries.
Lord McConnell said: ‘ This cancellation is the latest in a long line of examples of the Scottish Government taking the easy option. We have seen a “decade of disaster” in schools and a generation of young people has suffered as a result.
‘Scotland has gone down in i nternational l eague tables and we’re falling behind the rest of the UK, where we used to lead.’
The Conservatives are pushing for Education Secretary John Swinney to make a statement on the assessment process at Holyrood tomorrow.
Children’s rights academic Dr Tracy Kirk said a human rights compliant appeals system was necessary to avoid children being ‘cast aside’ like they were earlier this year.
Scottish Conservative education spokesman Jamie Greene said: ‘The education secretary must set out in full the processes of assessment, moderation and appeals of all 2021 exam replacements. For once, our schools should get decisive action from Mr Swinney that doesn’t end in a screeching U-turn or cancellation.’
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: ‘In order to hold the exams, they would have to be both safe and fair.
‘The simple reality is an exams diet in 2021 wouldn’t be fair to pupils whose learning has been significantly disrupted by the pandemic.’