Q and A: David Eaglesham

Published on Thursday 29 May 2008 22:04

THE general secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association talks about fears that the new school curriculum could be a disaster without more resources and clearer guidance.

What is your concern surrounding the Curriculum for Excellence?

It would be difficult to disagree with the principles of improving education; it is actually how we implement it and when that is causing concern.

Is it a question of throwing money at the problem?

No, first we need to find out what the potential pitfalls are and figure out where resources are actually needed. At the moment that is still a bit vague.

What needs to happen next?

We do need to open a dialogue on the potential problems surrounding resources. The big danger is that we each become entrenched in our positions rather than working together towards a solution.

In that case, what do you think of education secretary Fiona Hyslop's offer to host a meeting for key education figures on the issue?

I would welcome that because it is a good opportunity to have a discussion with her about where we are. It's a good indication that she is willing to listen.

What did you think of the media coverage?

It was fair. There were positive comments set alongside negative comments.

There seems to be a fair amount of agreement that there are problems but that there is a drive to fix them because the scheme is well worth fixing.