National 4 exam must be ditched claim staff

MINISTERS have been urged to axe a controversial qualification only three years after it was introduced by the SNP.

Teaching unions claim it is the ‘end of the road’ for the National 4, which replaced Standard Grades and has no external exams for pupils to sit.

Fears have been raised by parents and teachers that it does not serve the best interests of pupils.

There are also concerns it is not viewed by some organisations as a ‘valid qualification’.

New figures from the Scottish Qualifications Authority show an 11 per cent drop in the number of those put forward to study at National 4 level, to just over 116,000 in the latest academic year.

Seamus Searson, general secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association, told the Herald: ‘These entry rates are proof of how parents and teachers are viewing National 4.

‘The worry for us is if parents and pupils don’t value it then employers will not value it either.

‘My view is that National 4 has come to the end of the road.’

General secretary of the NASUWT teaching union Chris Keates said the ‘fall in presentation reflects our long-standing concerns about its credibility’.

Scottish Tory education spokesman Liz Smith said: ‘The SNP Government should now instigate a root and branch review of the National 4 qualification with a view to scrapping it if it is shown to no longer be required.’

A Scottish government spokesman said: ‘Many schools now design the curriculum to enable students to build a range of qualifications. This broadens educational opportunities and ensures students finish school with a portfolio of achievement suited to their needs.’

‘Concerns about its credibility’