Teachers, pupils and parents are among those being asked to give their views on the potential impact of the new Education (Scotland) Bill.
The bill was introduced by the Scottish government in response to a range of reports - including the 2021 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) review of Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence - as part of a programme of educational reforms.
The Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee, which has today made the appeal for views, wants to hear from “children, young people, teachers, parents and education experts”, among others. It has published details online of how to submit views.
Pandemic fuelled impetus for change
Under the proposals in the bill, a new body called Qualifications Scotland would replace the Scottish Qualifications Authority in 2025. The initial impetus for this change came during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The new body would be responsible for developing and awarding qualifications, with students, teachers and others promised a key role in these processes.
The bill would also establish a new office of chief inspector of education - with Education Scotland’s current dual inspection and curriculum development roles being separated - which will have to publish an annual report showing the “performance of the Scottish education system”.
MSPs ‘particularly keen’ to hear from teachers and pupils
The committee said today that it was “particularly keen to hear from children and young people, teachers and others who would be impacted by the bill’s reforms”.
Committee convener Sue Webber said: “The work done by Professor Ken Muir [author of a 2022 report on education reform] and the OECD provided the Scottish government with clear recommendations on how the Scottish education system could be improved, so we are looking forward to examining how the government has approached this in the Education (Scotland) Bill.
“In delivering this draft legislation, the Scottish government has outlined that it wants to better support pupils and teachers, so we are particularly keen to hear what they make of the proposed reforms.”
Ms Webber added: “Our consultation will be open until Friday 30 August 2024, and I would urge anyone with an interest in the proposals to share their views.”
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