Leader: Honesty is the bedrock of academic success

If teachers are under pressure to massage report cards, pupils will suffer
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visits Renfrew High School to promote her Reading Challenge initiative. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/GettyFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon visits Renfrew High School to promote her Reading Challenge initiative. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visits Renfrew High School to promote her Reading Challenge initiative. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty

The pressure to achieve good results in school is felt not only by pupils and their parents.

Teachers, headteachers, school boards, local authorities, the SQA and the Scottish Government itself are all under pressure to show that progress is being made in educational attainment.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Heated debates are ongoing about what is the right time to test pupils, but what if there is a question mark over the results themselves?

We report today on how one teacher has written to the First Minister expressing concern about pressure to amend pupil scores and report cards.

Teachers are best placed to make these judgments and there must be no pressure to do anything other than accurately record a pupil’s performance.

After all, accuracy and honesty are among the attributes we want to teach our children. How ironic if we are failing in this duty over their education.

In addition, any massaging of results may do the child no favours and could even set them up to fail in the future if poor performance isn’t recorded and tackled.

All parents want their children to fulfil their potential, but this aspiration will only be undermined in the long-term by failing to address issues openly and honestly at an early age.