The Scottish Qualifications Authority has promised to “reset” its relationship with teachers and students and “win back their trust” as it changes into a new national body over the coming year.
In a corporate plan, published today, the SQA commits to doubling its score for credibility with teachers by 2027.
It also promises to revamp qualifications and assessments to reflect societal changes and improve them by using technology such as artificial intelligence.
The plan, A Prospectus for Change, comes in the midst of education reform that was kickstarted after the SQA’s performance during the pandemic was widely criticised.
However, concerns have been voiced that the plan to replace the SQA with a new body called Qualifications Scotland, which is due to happen in late 2025, will amount to little more than a rebrand.
SQA reform ‘more than a name change’
SQA chief executive Fiona Robertson says the corporate plan was shaped by “extensive feedback from right across the education and skills community”, adding: “The establishment of Qualifications Scotland will retain the best of SQA: highly-regarded qualifications and the knowledge and passion of our people.
“However, this is much more than a name change; this is about resetting relationships and rebuilding and maintaining the trust of those we serve.”
Writing in the prospectus, Ms Robertson says that other key promises involve “grasping the potential of technology to streamline the services we offer” and “delivering qualifications and assessments that keep pace with rapid changes in society and the economy” by, for example, putting more emphasis on digital assessment.
She says the emergence of technology such as AI “stands out as one of the most significant developments relating to the delivery of qualifications and assessments”. It could be used to make services “more accessible and efficient”.
Other commitments in the prospectus include:
- “Rebalancing assessment” to reduce high-stakes external exams and increase continuous and internal assessments.
- Making digital on-screen assessments more accessible for students, starting with pilot schemes in subjects including computing science.
- Exploring how artificial intelligence could reduce teachers’ workload.
The prospectus describes the wider reform of Scottish education as “an unprecedented opportunity for change and improvement”, adding: “It will require bold decision making, a strong will and a commitment and willingness to change, among all of those who work in, with or to support the education community.”
This is the first publication from the SQA since a review of problems with Higher history, which came out on 6 November but, according to critics, left “huge questions” unanswered.
Trust of teachers essential
The SQA prospectus states: “Trust is a necessary component of the education and skills system; it is the currency that gives SQA’s qualifications value. The belief that an SQA qualification can be trusted to mean the holder has the skills and abilities we say they do is central to our value proposition.”
It adds: “Without the trust of those we work with and for, we cannot fulfil our mission.”
The prospectus sets some measurable targets for the SQA and its successor body, Qualifications Scotland, including that it should double the score for credibility with teachers in schools by 2027.
SQA chair Shirley Rogers, writing in the prospectus, says: “It is vital that Qualifications Scotland retains the best of SQA: our qualifications that are highly regarded not just here in Scotland but across the world, and the knowledge, skill and passion of our people. It is these strengths that have maintained the standard and credibility of our qualifications during SQA’s lifetime.”
Now there is an “opportunity to build upon those strong foundations”, she adds.
At the School Leaders Scotland conference in Aberdeen last week, Ms Robertson promised that assessment reform would bring “more streamlined choice” and “clearer progression pathways”.
The transformation into the proposed new body, Qualifications Scotland, would be “keeping the best of what SQA does”, she said, but would nevertheless represent “fundamental” change.
“This is not merely about the rebranding of the SQA,” she added.
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