You’ll get help but don’t delay exams, Mike Russell tells schools
Mike Russell has warned schools not to delay exams. Picture: Ian Rutherford
SCHOOLS are to be given more help to make sure they are ready for the introduction of Scotland’s new exam system, but will be discouraged from postponing its start date.
Education secretary Mike Russell has vowed that extra measures will be put in place to help schools make the transition from Standard Grades to the new National qualifications, which are due to be introduced next year.
But schools are unlikely to be encouraged to follow the example of East Renfrewshire, which has said it will defer the exams in all its secondaries by a year to allow teachers more time to prepare.
Mr Russell yesterday met with the country’s biggest teaching union, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), amid growing concern about how the introduction of the new exams is being handled.
The meeting followed the minister’s earlier appearance in the Scottish Parliament, where he confirmed controversial plans to scrap the chartered teacher scheme and introduce “external experts” into classrooms.
Mr Russell said everything would be done to make sure individual subject departments in schools did not feel the need to defer the start of the exams, including making extra money available to ease the transition.
He said: “This is a vitally important programme and a huge benefit for every child in Scotland. If any school genuinely feels it could not cope then they should seek help. I would encourage that and say that every ounce of help is available.”
Asked if financial help would be made available, he said: “I have not ruled that out. If at any stage anyone feels they need help of that kind, I would look at it seriously.
“The policy we have is that if individual departments don’t feel they can deliver on time, they should be able to say so. What I have said today to add to that, is that there is help to ensure everybody is supported. East Renfrewshire does things in a different way. What I have said is that Curriculum for Excellence is an advantage to every child and East Renfrewshire agrees with me. There is a big obligation on East Renfrewshire, but we have accepted they are different.”
However, Larry Flanagan, the incoming head of the EIS, which represents 55,000 teachers across Scotland, said it was clear the minister was against allowing individual schools or subject departments to delay.
He said: “Mike Russell said he is willing to listen to various issues around workload and the level of resource, but unwilling to concede an across-the-board delay. He did say that groups of subjects could approach Education Scotland through their local authority.
“He said he would look at providing additional resources to schools and was trying to identify additional financial resources as well as additional in-service days to support the new qualifications. He also said he would look at the SQA’s [Scottish Qualifications Authority] delivery of various consultative documents. It’s probably as much as we could expect.
“He does not accept that there are a number of schools asking for a delay and did not want to give the green light for everybody to consider it for the sake of it. We would have preferred a more open approach to schools seeking delays. We are pleased he has at least not closed the door, but he’s clearly inclined against it.”
Debate surrounding the introduction of the new exams began again last week after the SQA published new guidance for teachers on delivering the new National 4 and National 5 courses.
The National 4, which replaces Standard Grade general level and Intermediate 1, and National 5, which replaces Standard Grade credit level and Intermediate 2, are due to be introduced at the start of the 2013-14 school year.
However, East Renfrewshire, which is home to some of Scotland’s best-performing state schools, has said it will delay the introduction of the exams by a year because it is in the unique situation of having stopped Standard Grades in 2005, replacing the qualifications with Intermediates.
Liz Smith MSP, the Tory education spokeswoman, said the decision to treat East Renfrewshire as a “special case” meant the SNP was “all over the place” on the implementation of the new exams.
She said: “It is ludicrous to suggest there is anything ‘special’ about the position of any one local authority. East Renfrewshire happens to have some of the best education results in the country and if it chooses to delay the implementation of the exams for a short period because teachers there decide it is in the best interests of their pupils, then they should be allowed to do so.
“So should other local authorities if that’s what they decide too. They should not then be told that it would be ‘tremendously disruptive’ if they don’t push ahead with what the Scottish Government wants.”
The confusion surrounding the new exams has echoes of the introduction of Curriculum for Excellence itself, which had to be delayed by a year due to concerns from teachers.
The Scottish Government said “intensive additional support” would be provided for subject departments unready for the new exams, but said no individual department had yet come forward requesting such help.
Councillor Isabel Hutton, education spokeswoman for local authority umbrella organisation Cosla, said councils remained committed to the introduction of the new exams to enhance education.
She said: “We are committed to ensure that the new qualifications are very much on track and on time to enable our schools and learners to forge ahead with the new curriculum and sitting the new exams in 2014.”
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Comments
There are 26 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
Sawney Has-Been
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 06:49 AM*Fly - not all authorities are doing the S3 approach. Mine is asking us to change in S2 for August. We are being told to have N4 and N5 classes straight from S3....the trouble is, the entry requirements for N5 is a pass at N4, so a whole cohort are going to miss the basics and go straight into an N5 course that looks 40% old Higher! Nobody is listening - I sense another SQA fiasco!
burge23
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 08:56 PMThe bottom line is that unlike most of the other changes this time the guidance has been woeful: no development time; no funding and no structure. You can't build a course and prepare kids when you don't even know what the final exams are going to be. Even worse there is no way some courses can be delivered in the time allocated so it's a fudge. We had this with Higher Still but wiser minds prevailed and delays abounded. The implementation of that was hardly painless either if we recall - missing exam papers, folios, widespread delays etc. SQA will want to forget that one! This one does not really come down totally to the Authorities as the pressure is higher up. Please look at life on the ground. Life is tough enough as it is. 13 year old's should not be made guinea pigs. The old adage "more hurray, less speed" is valid here. For goodness sake, get the plans in place before you make the kids pay the price!
Tintock Pete
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 07:43 PM#23 Tartancult, the difference 50 years ago was that a life on benefits wasn't an alternative to working and no-one I doubt very much was Better Off On Benefits either.
Tartancult
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 06:26 PM#11 One of the most difficult areas to discuss is why our children should make the effort to achieve higher standards in education. Fifty years ago, they had guaranteed employment in the very many industries that were alive and profitable in the UK. Nowadays the kids realise that there is a limited opportunity, so why make the effort----------------------------------------That has to be one of the most inane comments since the alphabet was invented. Employment was NEVER guaranteed, especially 50 years ago and if the opportunities are limited, as you suggest, this is surely an incentive to make MORE effort. You must spend your days gazing into a warm pint Hector and if your attitude is reflective of today's youth - they are doomed.
No Jambos
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 04:57 PMHa ha Fly it dont matter whether its SNP,Tory etc its about education. A 3rd year of general education will be a waste of time. East Ren are being smart here and just watch others follow. They know the Emperor's new clothes are pretty flimsy.
Buford Van Stomm
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 03:35 PMCaption competition. ==================================================== Mike Russell appears unaware Salmond has stolen his pannini from under his nose.
Buford Van Stomm
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 03:33 PMwhat a thoroughly unpleasant man Russell is.
Fly
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 02:49 PM#17 If you know what Curriculum for Excellence is about you will know that pupils should now not select subjects until 3rd year. Why is East Ren different?? Is it an SNP stronghold?
Tintock Pete
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 12:04 PMCaption competition;,,,,Teachers!!!!! Aaaaarrggghhhhh FFS. Why do they always see a problem in an answer and not an answer to a problem. Wish I could just sack 'em all and rehire the good ones, just like other generic council staff.
No Jambos
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 11:37 AMDo these people have any morals. How can they force all the 2nd year kids in this country to begin new courses for which there is as yet no detailed curriculum content or what the exams will be like. Only in Scotland!
Vote 'NO'
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:18 AMHave I got News For You - Caption - "Aaaagh,NO!!, I've drawn Joan McAlpine in the Christmas Date Sweep!!"
Vote 'NO'
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:17 AM12 Yes, of course, it's Scottish Labour's fault. Anything BUT the truth.
duelaynomore
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 09:58 AMSo what started as lowers and highers has morphed into standard grades and intermediates and then national 4's an 5's, yes that makes sense to somebody... I'm sure.........Quite frankly it's just an excuse to lower the fence even lower so that all our wee Johnnies and Maries, pass with flying colours to become civil servants or beneficiaries of the state. Where are the bridge and windfarm builders coming from ( Shanghai probably!). Can we even make our own nails these days? The Romans managed to do so 2000 years ago.
Harry Abbott
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 09:16 AMMr Russel says schools will get help.....He can manufacture time?
McNasty
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 07:09 AMThe EIS is full of Labour supporters out to cause trouble for the SNP. They should get their lazy backsides into gear and start making things work instead of obstructing at any opportunity.
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