WORK to reform Scotland’s exams system will start in the new year, the Education Secretary has said, but they will not be scrapped.
Shirley-Anne Somerville announced in August that the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) will be scrapped and replaced while Education Scotland will see its powers of inspection removed.
The move came following a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Yesterday, the Education Secretary went further, outlining plans to overhaul the exams system – although the final outlook is not yet clear.
Professor Louise Hayward of Glasgow University will lead a group to engage with stakeholders, Somerville said.
“The issue of assessment and qualifications generates strong and sometimes conflicting opinions, however I am convinced that, given the experience and views expressed over the last two years, the time is right to signal that the Scottish Government supports reform of national qualifications and assessment,” she told MSPs.
“The Scottish Government will consult on the purpose and principles which should underpin any reform of national qualifications and assessments.
“This will be the first step in a process which will be done with careful thought and consideration, recognising the importance of national qualifications to learners.”
The Education Secretary said the group led by Hayward, which will begin its work in the new year, will help to “provide advice to Scottish ministers as to how agreed principles will be translated into a design for delivering assessment and qualifications while ensuring that externally assessed examination will remain part of the new system”.
Scottish Tory education spokesman Oliver Mundell said the statement “confirms that the only plans the SNP have got is to double down on radical and ill thought out reform that will end exams as we know them”.
In response, Somerville said: “I don’t think Oliver Mundell read the statement which he got in advance or listened to what I’ve said, because I specifically said in the statement that we’re not talking about ending exams.”
She went on: “It’s not too late to drop the soundbite and the press release you’ve no doubt already put out and genuinely take part in a discussion about what the qualifications and assessment process will look like going forward”.
Labour education spokesman Michael Marra accused the Education Secretary of being “content to leave the SQA – unfit in its current form, – presiding over our assessment process this year and potentially beyond”.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here