‘Matthew Effect’ sadly still alive in Scotland

Sir, – The Scottish Qualification Authority’s downgrading of pupil results is a national disgrace.

At a stroke, this nonelected and apparently unaccountable body has delivered a body blow to the hopes and aspirations of thousands of senior pupils across Scotland.

In the late 1970s I had been teaching for eight years and I read an article in an educational journal that haunted me for the rest of my teaching career. The article was called The Matthew Effect in the Classroom.

The writer posed an educational theory based on Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 25 verse 29.

“For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance.

“Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them” (New International Version).

The writer argued that there were subtle and not so subtle forces at work in education that rewarded the already successful and disadvantaged the already disadvantaged.

In the 42 years since I read this enlightened article there have been many changes to the curriculum, the exam system and attempts to reduce the attainment gap.

At a stroke however, the SQA have demonstrated that the Matthew Effect is still alive and well in our classrooms.

The aspirations and ambitions of countless thousands have been degraded by a bureaucratic sleight of hand.

Sadly, even the pupils scoring straight A grades will be left to wonder if this was a reflection of their true ability or that they were just blessed to be on the side of the already abundant. Ron J Scrimgeour. 39 Gowan Rigg, Forfar, Angus.