Exclusive:Scottish education on 'brink of collapse' under SNP, UK Education Secretary claims

Gillian Keegan spoke out after the latest Pisa rankings were released.

The SNP has “let Scottish children down” through putting ideology ahead of evidence, the UK Education Secretary has claimed.

Making a rare intervention, Gillian Keegan accused Humza Yousaf’s Government of overseeing an education system “on the brink of collapse”, and watering down standards.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The senior Tory ministers comments came after it was revealed the performance of Scottish pupils has plummeted in maths, science and reading in the latest world rankings.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan criticised the SNP's record on education.Education Secretary Gillian Keegan criticised the SNP's record on education.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan criticised the SNP's record on education.

Known as the PISA rankings released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the scores show the results of nearly 700,000 students from 81 countries. The scores showed Scotland plummeted more than the average and by more than the rest of the UK.

Writing in Scotland on Sunday, Ms Keegan described Scotland as previously “the envy of the world for education”, and asked “what happened?”, citing the Pisa study.

She said: “It told a tale of two records: an English system that continues to rise up the international rankings versus a failing Scottish system at the brink of collapse.

“This downwards trend is also reflected in Labour-run Wales, who performed worse still. It is deeply worrying. A generation of children will be disadvantaged when they look to go to university, an apprenticeship or look to find a job – often competing with others from around the world.

“This situation hasn’t happened by chance. Different parts of the UK have taken fundamentally different to education. Both in Scotland under the SNP, and in Wales under Labour, they’ve spent years putting progressive ideology ahead of evidence-based policy decisions and it has led to this sustained fall in educational outcomes.

“They have refused to follow our lead on academisation, they have watered-down the rigour of their exams, and they have refused to open themselves up for scrutiny, pulling out of two international education rankings. Scottish children have been let down by the SNP”.

Ms Keegan, the MP for Chichester also criticised the First Minister, and urged Scottish ministers to look to other parts of the UK to turn it around.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She said: “The irony is parents were sold a promise by the likes of Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf that they would make education their defining mission in Government.

"Sturgeon even said she wanted the SNP’s legacy to be judged on record in education. And I do.

“The SNP have inflicted the worst ever education results in Scotland’s history for both maths and science on parents and pupils.

“But it is possible to turn things around. We did it in England. When we came into office in 2010 it was off the back of thirteen years of Labour. England was stuck at 27th in the world for maths, 25th for reading and 16th for science.

“I do judge the SNP on their record – and it is clear they have failed. Scottish schools need a change. They need a government who will put pupils and parents above their nationalist politics to ensure the next generation have a brighter future”.

In response, a spokesperson for Scottish education secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “The Scottish Government won’t be taking any lectures from Gillian Keegan about how to run our schools.

“Earlier this year Ms Keegan invited people to praise her approach to dealing with the issues associated with Raac (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) in England’s schools. This bizarre process involved no engagement with devolved governments and instead caused panic and alarm for parents and pupils alike.

“Ms Keegan would do better to focus on the areas she has responsibility for in England, rather than pontificating about schools outwith her jurisdiction.”

Comments

 0 comments

Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.