Leader comment: Schools report card - must do better

Education is the Scottish Government's number one priority. Nicola Sturgeon restated this point during her Programme for Government launch this week.
Scottish Government must do better on education. Picture: John DevlinScottish Government must do better on education. Picture: John Devlin
Scottish Government must do better on education. Picture: John Devlin

Few voters would disagree with this, but actions speak louder than words.

This week alone The Scotsman has reported on low teacher morale and a large number of teacher vacancies.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Against this backdrop of concern, a sensible and measured inspection regime is valuable.

But new figures show that some schools in Scotland were last inspected by Education Scotland more than ten years ago.

What use is this to parents or politicians looking to determine how well our schools are being run? If you were seeking out a restaurant to eat in or a hotel, would you rely on a review from years before?

Last year, only 19 secondary schools were inspected, compared with 61 in 2009-10.

This needs to be rectified. Proper inspections should be a source of pride for well-run schools, and a key marker for those which have to do better.