Secondary teachers and college lecturers have said they need better information and resource materials to support implementation of the senior phase of Curriculum for Excellence.
Interim results of a national survey by the EIS union found that more than three-quarters of teachers and lecturers were still calling for new course materials and proper assessment exemplification from the Scottish Qualifications Authority to support the new National qualifications.
“We know that new materials are being produced, but the message from Scotland’s teaching professionals is that we need them now and we need them to be of high quality,” education convener Kay Barnett said.
Ms Barnett said that the union had been a consistent and lone voice in calling for a national one-year delay to the introduction of the new qualifications.
“Having decided to push ahead with an extremely ambitious timetable for the new qualifications, it is absolutely essential for the Scottish government to ensure that all the promised resources are put in place to support teachers and lecturers in schools and colleges. Time is running short with teaching of the new courses now just four months away in many schools,” she said.
John Stodter, general secretary of the education directors body ADES, said: “At a time of major educational change it is inevitable that there will be a degree of nervousness among teachers.
“There was, however, an agreed timeline for the publication of National 4 and 5 materials, namely the end of April 2013, and the EIS was fully involved in agreeing that. Many of the materials and other support resources are already available and the SQA has met every deadline so far.”
A Scottish government spokesman said: “Curriculum for Excellence is being developed with an unprecedented level of collaboration and partnership among education professionals, parents and others, including the EIS. We recognise that teachers are working hard to deliver CfE and we are increasingly seeing the benefits for pupils.”
elizabeth.buie@tess.co.uk.
Interim findings
- More than two-thirds of teachers and lecturers feel that support provided for CfE senior phase implementation has been unsatisfactory from local authoritiescolleges (67.7 per cent); Education Scotland (68.9 per cent); and the Scottish Qualifications Authority (67.9 per cent).
- 40 per cent of teachers and lecturers state their schoolcollege has not received the previously agreed additional financial support for the new National qualifications;
- More than three-quarters (78.4 per cent) feel that detailed exemplification of assessments from the SQA is essential.
www.eis.org.uk.
