Educational system pays heavy price for being hobbled by state orthodoxy

Your report on the debate with regard to head teacher autonomy (“Fears that ‘superheads’ plan could widen attainment gap”, The Scotsman, 27 January) demonstrated the sad truth that Scottish educational debate remains tightly tethered to a progressive state orthodoxy, with the only divergence emerging over administrative and financial questions. This failure to critically analyse deeper educational questions also blights Holyrood.

So, I’ll step into the void and survey the crumbling foundations of Scottish education.

Firstly, there is an overemphasis on pretty well everything apart from imparting academic knowledge. The idea of a teacher transmitting their superior understanding of a subject to students is seen as just a little a bit too hierarchical.

Secondly, blind to the freely available facts of genetics, eliminating the attainment gap remains the main goal, resulting in misapplication of funding and energy.

Thirdly, indoctrination into every left-leaning liberal politically correct cause going is taken for granted. So confident is the government in this venture that it has decided to enter Scottish schools in the world indoctrination league table to be administered by PISA known as the “Global Competence” assessment. Dangerous transgender nonsense is blithely accepted inside the school gate while it is hugely controversial outside it. The General Teaching Council for Scotland threatens to strike teachers off for saying that they believe that abortion is immoral.

Fourthly, Education Scotland’s campaign against punishments in school and general undermining of teachers’ authority while “empowering” children is leading to ever lower standards of discipline. And that’s not good for teachers or pupils.

Fifthly, the “Harm Reduction” approach to issues like sex and drugs is harmful, as it communicates tacit acceptance of behaviours that many parents would steer their children away from. Believing the risks can be effectively managed makes experimentation more likely. A wider moral framework is usually absent.

Sixthly, Education Scotland’s unshakable faith in its own wisdom leads to the imposition in every school of whichever educational fashions it’s latched onto this year, over-ruling those who know the school best. Question their “advice” and you are a bad school. Laud it and your school is excellent.

Seventhly, incessant emphasis on, and enquiry into, “wellbeing” can leads pupils to see themselves as delicate flowers in constant need of special protection and care, undermining the development of resilience.

Build as many shiny new buildings as you like, but if the philosophical foundations are not sound, don’t expect to build a great education system.