Schools fail to satisfy pupils and the nation

By ANDREW WHITAKER
Published on 28/12/2012 00:00

MORE than 60 per cent of voters surveyed said Scotland’s school system was not “sufficiently ambitious” for both its pupils and the nation.

The online survey showed that nearly half of those surveyed also said they did not feel they were given enough support and advice to help with the transition from school.

However, it also showed that almost 62 per cent of respondents said that they understood the SNP government’s flagship Curriculum for Excellence and how it would change school education.

The results are published today in a report from the School Reform Commission, set up by think tanks Reform Scotland and the Centre for Scottish Public Policy.

However, there were mixed views on the performance of Scotland’s schools among the 326 people questioned on social networking sites by Reform Scotland.

A total of 74 per cent felt that the Scottish school education system helped them reach their potential, but 36 per cent said that system only helped more academically able children to reach their potential

Reform Scotland’s research director Alison Payne said the findings showed Scotland’s schools could be “much better” after 63 per cent thought their school education was geared towards them passing exams.