John Swinney launches major audit of Curriculum for Excellence

John Swinney stood by Curriculum for Excellence

A major audit of the effectiveness of Scotland's under-fire school curriculum has been launched - despite the education secretary insisting it is still "the right approach" for Scottish education.

John Swinney announced a sweeping review of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) - the syllabus taught to Scottish children throughout their school years - after demands by opposition parties in the wake of a series of reports which suggested there was a decline in high school subject choice, increased multi-level teaching in classrooms and a pattern of declining attainment.

However he said he believed the curriculum was delivering "strong results" for pupils, and that the review was being done out of his "respect for democracy" as it was the Scottish Parliament which had demanded it be carried out.

Announcing the remit for the review at Wester Hailes Education Centre, Mr Swinney said: "It is vital to recognise that, despite calls for such a review in Parliament, there was cross-party support for the development of Curriculum for Excellence, and there continues to be cross-party support. That constancy gives fundamental certainty to our education system on the scope and parameters of this review."

He stressed it would not be a "review of the whole of Scottish education" and there would be no halt to the government's plan to "deepen and embed" the "progress" which he said CfE was delivering.

"I want to be clear that I firmly believe in Curriculum for Excellence and this is the right approach for Scottish education. I do not wish this review to be a distraction or create uncertainty in the system," he said. "I want to take the opportunity of the review to discuss and debate what we want CfE to look like over the next ten years."

Yet, international PISA results recently showed Scotland falling down the rankings on maths and science, with literacy improving. Scottish Government analysis published last week also showed a decline in the exam performance of school pupils, with the number of students achieving passes in core Higher subjects dropping significantly last year, in some cases by as much as 10 per cent.

Mr Swinney added: "I am not claiming everything is wonderful in education and nothing may need to change. That is not my message. We have made a series of reforms... reforms that the evidence is telling us are starting to work.

"But I'm beginning to wonder if in the midst of rather overblown and over-hyped media coverage, we have begun to take the wider range of pathways, options and experiences and positive destinations for your young people, for granted.

"Every education system must always be open to make further improvements. We will stick close to the data and evidence, examine it carefully and take long term evidence-based decisions. There is still much to do but I believe we are on the right track. Now is the time to stay the course."

“This review is long overdue - the Scottish Conservatives have been calling for a full, independent and transparent review of the Curriculum for Excellence for three years, it is clear to everyone that there are fundamental problems which simply must be addressed."

He added: “Whilst the scope and nature of the review is welcome, we are concerned that we will have to wait yet another year to get to the bottom of these problems which will provide little comfort to pupils who are already studying for exams.

“Let’s not forget, the SNP did not want this review in the first place – the Scottish Conservatives forced John Swinney into a u-turn, yet he still claims that everything is fine across the education system. The simple fact is that after 13 years of SNP government, education is far from their number one priority.”

Scottish Labour's education spokesperson Iain Gray said Mr Swinney was not "facing up to the problems in schools and the failures of the SNP government to close the attainment gap", but was being "thin-skinned and defensive".

He added: “John Swinney needs to understand that the ‘principles and big ideas’ of Curriculum for Excellence are not being compromised by ‘overblown media coverage’ but rather his government’s failure to fund schools properly and support teachers effectively.

“Despite his bluster, new figures this week show attainment falling and the attainment gap widening, not narrowing. He also announced an extremely disappointing remit for the OECD review of secondary education, in an attempt to avoid scrutiny of problems with attainment and curriculum.

“If this arrogant SNP government truly wishes to close the attainment gap, John Swinney will have to swallow his pride and put the future of Scotland’s children before his public image.”