SNP ‘stripping councils of power in schools row’

Education Secretary Swinney under attack over classroom chaos

SNP ministers have been accused of launching a bid to strip councils of their powers amid fears school reforms could lead to chaos in the classroom.

John Swinney was criticised yesterday over a series of reforms to Scottish schools, including the current governance review which he has claimed will see more power handed to teachers and parents – and away from councils.

Fears have been raised that this is another SNP bid to centralise power at Holyrood.

Concerns have also been highlighted over the exam and assessment system as pupils prepare to receive their results today.

Teachers, parents and opposition politicians have all raised issues with the Curriculum for Excellence, which has seen increased workloads and confusion within classrooms.

Mr Swinney has pledged to change the current blueprint by cutting the number of assessments done in class but fears have been raised after he admitted this will lead to youngsters being forced to sit in exam halls for longer.

And writing in The Herald yesterday, Stephen McCabe, the new education spokesman for Cosla, said: ‘Stung by criticism from opposition politicians the Government needs someone to blame.

‘Step forward Scotland’s battered and bruised councils. We have a Scottish Government that does not believe in local government or local democracy.’

Mr McCabe’s comments were made as Mr Swinney faced fierce criticism over the SNP’s Curriculum for Excellence.

Since it was introduced by the Scottish Government, concerns have been raised over the workload it has created for pupils and teachers and the number of assessments youngsters have been forced to sit.

Recently Mr Swinney announced assessments would be cut back from 2018 but admitted this would lead to longer exams.

Speaking to the BBC yesterday, secondary teacher Olivia Drennan welcomed the move away from continued assessment, but called for a consensus to be reached. She said: ‘If the agreement from the cabinet secretary is that unit assessments go, the unit assessments need to go.’

Mrs Drennan also insisted that getting rid of assessments and replacing them with longer exams could prove unhelpful for children from deprived backgrounds and those who struggle with attention in class.

Scottish Tory education spokesman Liz Smith said: ‘John Swinney’s attempts to solve one problem has created another even bigger mess. This entire chaotic reform has had all the hallmarks of this SNP government: distracted from the day job, unwilling to listen to people on the ground, and forced to spend most of its time mopping up its own mistakes.’

Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesman Tavish Scott, added: ‘The SNP’s implementation of CfE has been cack handed in the extreme.’

Mr Swinney has insisted the government’s latest approach will see more time for learning and less time spent on assessments.

He said: ‘What we’ve done since I became education secretary is to provide the absolute clarity on the delivery of the curriculum that the teaching profession were looking for, while maintaining the broad reach of Curriculum for Excellence.

‘We’ve undertaken very swift measures to reduce the workload of teachers.’

‘Returning pupils facing a shambles’

PARENTS and, of course, pupils ought to be at the heart of much-needed reforms of education.

But John Swinney’s proposed changes look awfully like an attempt to assuage the SNP’s thirst for centralisation and to appease unions ever alert for anything that threatens their vested interests. Mr Swinney was parachuted in as Education Secretary after the disastrous reign of Angela Constance.

That was in May last year and Scotland’s pupils have since seen precious little in the way of meaningful change.

Of course, that is par for the course with a Scottish Government, whose main focus is not on real-world problems but instead on attempts to revivify their moribund independence campaign.

Liz Smith, Scottish Tory education spokesman, gets an A+ for perspicacity: ‘This entire chaotic reform has had all the hallmarks of this SNP government: distracted from the day job, unwilling to listen to people on the ground, and forced to spend most of its time mopping up its own mistakes.’

Mr Swinney needs focus on improving the lot of schoolchildren; needs to win over parents. He will do that only when he shows he is prepared to take on those within the education system who fear change will upset their cosy arangements.