Time to look at fast track systems with top graduates
Scottish pupils are falling behind in reading improvements, finds Neil Mclennan
Recent reports along the lines of a story in The Scotsman headlined “Scottish pupils falling behind in reading improvements”, are concerning.
All the more so when educationalists are asked to ‘talk up’ Scottish education - and those who criticise are deemed ‘resisters’. (Interestingly, I recently observed one enlightened school overseas, their mantra on complaints: ‘complainers care.’)
In an editorial, The Scotsman suggested the government should plough ahead with education governance reforms. As a caution: progress is not always improvement.
Do we have clarity on purpose? What is education for – knowledge creation/transfer? Skill development? Selfactualisation? Community cohesion? Are we keeping the four capacities; Successful learners, effective contributors, confident individual and responsible citizen?
They support broad aims, alas reforms don’t mention them at all.
Perhaps we should have ‘followed up’ with the spirit of CFE instead of clamouring for assessment approaches. Early implementation of CFE ran smoothly until assessment guidance and exam changes. Little more needs to be written about that.
The editorial highlights Scottish Attainment Challenge funding. One might as how much is new funding, or is it recycled/rebranded? Too many selfies and not enough selfless sustained action.
There are headlines around ‘freeing of headteachers’, yet the reality could not be further from the case.
The recent changes announced in the governance review have created unease. All improvements need a change but all change does not necessarily lead to improvements.
The successful Scottish College for Educational Leadership being taken over by Education Scotland has raised eyebrows.
This demonstrates the centralisation agenda. The organisation, which has presided over the decline in Scottish school standard, seems untouched in the reforms and the SQA, mentioned earlier, has only a watching brief over it.
How about we ‘free’ education from the whim of politicians and inertia of bureaucracy? Robust governance boards with elected representatives, community representations, staff, parents and pupil voice.
We want to be positive about education and promote what is good ‘excellent’. If we gave the same focus on defining and championing the four capacities we might be more upbeat and, in time, see improvements in the system and across society.
The government’s Teach First scheme is facilitating a new breed of teachers; top graduates, trained quickly to do missionary work ‘closing the gap.’ What is the rationale? We might reflect if everything can be done ‘at speed.’ Quality comes from deep learning, mastery and sound apprenticeships;
Maybe we should consider fast track systems with top graduates, quickly trained to take over governance positions in Scottish education? ● Neil Mclennan is Senior Lecturer and Director of Leadership Programmes, University of Aberdeen