Narrow curriculum ‘gives children in poorer areas fewer chances’

MSPs heard yesterday about the “worrying” impact the narrowing of the school curriculum is having on pupils.

A reduction in the number of subject choices in some schools, particularly in S4, is affecting pupils’ prospects, Holyrood’s Education and Skills Committee heard.

As a result, youngsters are missing out on studying some beneficial subjects and the options open to them further down the line are being reduced, with pupils in the most deprived areas particularly hit.

Labour MSP Johann Lamont said she finds the idea of young people having “fewer chances in poorer areas than they had five years ago” to be “deeply troubling”.

The committee heard from experts on the 2018 exam diet and the way Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) is working.

Under the former system, pupils typically studied eight subjects in S4.

Honorary professor of education at the University of Dundee, Jim Scott, said schools now offer anything from five to eight courses.

Had the S4 situation continued as it was in 2013, there would have been an extra 622,000 qualifications in Scotland over the five subsequent years, he said, describing the figure as “almost unbelievable”.

Children at the lower levels of ability appear to be worst affected by CfE.

Prof Scott said: “The evidence suggests equity is not being achieved and in fact things appear to be getting somewhat worse.”

Dr Marina Shapira, of the University of Stirling said: “We found a clear relationship in the rate of reduction of the number of subject choices made by S4 pupils and the level of school deprivation. This finding is very worrying.

“The reduction is larger in schools in higher areas of deprivation and the reduction is larger in schools where there are more children on free school meals, which means more children from deprived socio-economic backgrounds.”