Tag: education

Welcome to Weber Shandwick!

From three hundred applicants to three appointments – apprentices join world’s top communications firm here in Scotland

Three Modern Apprentices have joined the 50-strong team at Weber Shandwick in Scotland as the consultancy signs up to the Young Person’s Guarantee and commits to supporting more young people into a career in communications.

Erin Butler, Olivia Yeneka and Ewan Bruce were selected from over 300 applicants to the programme, which is being delivered in partnership with Kelvin College.

Over the next year they will enjoy a mix of classroom and on-the-job training, which will see them develop skills in media relations, social media, creative, public affairs and insights.

Natalie Buxton, Managing Director of Weber Shandwick in Scotland is also a member of the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board and a Chair of its Gender Commission.

She said: “Our industry is growing and we need more people from more diverse backgrounds to consider a career in communications. In addition to offering excellent career opportunities for our apprentices I believe they will make us better at delivering for our clients.

“Erin, Olivia and Ewan have joined a fast-paced and exciting working environment and are already learning from some of the communications industry’s best talent, not just here in Scotland, but with colleagues across the UK and globally. I am really excited to see how they develop over the next year and beyond.”

Minister for Youth Employment and Training Jamie Hepburn said: “The Young Person’s Guarantee is a joint commitment to provide opportunities for all 16-24 year olds in Scotland through jobs, apprenticeships, further and higher education, training programmes and volunteering.

“I’m delighted that Weber Shandwick have signed up to the Guarantee and are creating such valuable work-based learning opportunities. I would encourage all employers to think about how they can help our young people at this time.”

The apprentices are full-time, paid employees who are earning a Living Wage while they learn. They can expect to gain an SVQ Level 7 Qualification at the end of their 12-month contract. Weber Shandwick has committed to delivering a combination of formal and on-the-job training including strategic planning, creative, media relations and digital strategy across a range of sectors, including consumer, tech and energy.

Weber Shandwick has won some of the most prestigious awards in the industry; in 2020 it was named to Ad Age’s Agency A-List and honoured as PRovoke’s Global Agency of the Decade. The agency was also nominated as one of the Best Places to Work in 2019.

Senior Associate Rebecca Halligan, who joined Weber Shandwick through the apprentice scheme in 2017, said: “Becoming an apprentice at Weber Shandwick was an excellent way to join the world of PR.

“I was allowed the opportunity to develop my skills in the areas I enjoyed and have been able to maximise my potential since joining the team.

“From working on big brands since day one, training in offices across Europe, and being welcomed with open arms into the team, Weber Shandwick’s apprenticeship programme is an unbeatable start to a career in communications.”

39 Scottish Primary Schools to begin mental wellbeing challenge

  • 39 Scottish schools start I Can’t to I Can mental wellbeing challenge on 8th November to build self-confidence, resilience and self-esteem mental ahead of Anti-Bullying Week
  • The 5-day Challenge was created as a response to anxiety pandemic amongst young people during these uncertain times
  • Half of all mental health conditions present themselves by the time a child reaches 14 but most cases remain undetected and untreated
  • I Can’t to I Can provides teachers with resources to teach simple brain hacks that can last a lifetime and turn around a child’s negative thinking within a week

The ongoing pandemic, concerns about climate change along with the endless horrific news headlines are enough for any young person to deal with. Add into the mix the normal issues of growing up magnified through the lens of social media and it’s no wonder that young people are 50% more likely to have a mental health problem than they were three years ago.

From 8th November, 39 schools in Scotland will be taking part in the RTT 5-Day ‘I Can’t to I Can’ mental wellbeing challenge.

The aim is to provide children aged 7 – 10 with a series of mind hacks to help build confidence, self-esteem and resilience. This will give them the mental stamina to cope with these challenging times and skills to support them throughout their life if they learn to practice them daily.

Available online, the free resource is based around the RTT concept of the inner cheerleader. Everyone is born with an inner cheerleader as without that driving force encouraging us, babies would give up after taking their first, unsuccessful attempt at anything.

Sadly, the inner critic can kick in as young as 5 which is why the skills taught in ‘I Can’t to I Can’ are so key and it takes just a week to instil positive new approaches in children aged 7 to 10.

Commenting on the challenge, Dr Sian Peer, therapist and Director of the RTT School said: ‘As a parent myself, I know how crippling anxiety can be for a young child. We wanted to share some of the incredible mental wellbeing tools that are the cornerstones of RTT to help primary school children understand and manage their emotions.

“The 5 Day Challenge provides teachers with a daily lesson plan over a week, each building on the learning from the previous day. There are videos, fun exercises and ideas to do at home making the whole experience interactive and memorable.’

Although most schools will participate in the challenge during the week of 8th November, the resources are going to be accessible to schools on an ongoing basis.

Schools interested can visit www.rtt.com/method

New report calls for action on tutoring and mentoring to help close Scotland’s attainment gap

Stark gaps in educational attainment in Scotland could be reduced through the rollout of mentoring and tutoring support, according to a new report.

Highlighting evidence showing that mentoring and tutoring have positive impacts on attainment for young people living in the grip of poverty, the report, based on research conducted by the Poverty Alliance for The Robertson Trust, calls for mentoring and tutoring to be available and targeted to all school-aged children and young people at risk of poverty in Scotland. 

It showed that high-quality tutoring programmes, in particular, can significantly reduce inequalities in educational attainment. Despite this, the report reveals that the provision of free tuition for young people living in Scotland is sparse.

In comparison to the National Tutoring Programme, which provides free tuition for pupils in England and Wales, the Scottish Government has not committed to widespread, accessible tuition as part of Covid-19 recovery.

Published yesterday on National Mentoring Day, the report highlights the success of mentoring as an effective intervention for improving self-confidence and raising aspirations amongst young people affected by poverty.

Earlier this year, the Scottish Government and The Hunter Foundation committed to the expansion of mentoring and leadership support for care-experienced young people through funding the roll-out of MCR Pathways’ Young Scottish Talent and Columba 1400’s Leadership Academies across Scotland. 

However, this report reveals a mixed landscape in terms of mentoring provision, with geographical gaps and a lack of provision directed at groups of children and young people who are more likely to be living in poverty compounded by other forms of disadvantage.

Dr Jim McCormick, Chief Executive, The Robertson Trust said: “Too many young people across Scotland are seeing their life chances restricted by poverty.  

“At a time when painstaking progress is at risk of unravelling, it is deeply concerning to see any research which highlights an uneven educational playing field. The lack of free tutoring support is just one example of this and something that will invariably put young people living in poverty at a further disadvantage. 

“We are keen to use these findings to understand what the role of an independent funder should be in working towards equal access to tutoring/mentoring opportunities which can lead to positive academic, developmental and emotional outcomes.

“Based on what we’ve heard, we are calling for greater collaboration between funders and support organisations to help bridge the gaps, both to level the playing field and to build a stronger evidence base of what works. 

“Equally, we hope that this review will stimulate renewed commitment to act on the poverty-related attainment gap across Scotland, particularly in light of the disproportionate impact Covid-19 has had on those most affected.” 

Dr Laura Robertson, Research Officer at the Poverty Alliance and lead author of the review, said: “The Scottish Government has put tackling the poverty-based attainment gap at the heart of its agenda.

“However, inequalities in education attainment remain stark. Covid-19 has not only tightened the grip of poverty on the lives of many children and young people, but has also exacerbated these inequalities. Now, more than ever, children and young people need access to additional support.  

“This report reveals that – despite the evidence that it works – young people living in poverty still don’t have equal access to high quality tutoring free of charge. In a just society, all children and young people should have access to support that allows them to reach their potential, so the Scottish Government must – if it wants to end the attainment gap – respond with action.” 

Poverty-Alliance-Mentoring-and-Tutoring-ReviewFINALv2Download

Everything that’s happening today at the Festival of Politics

Friday 22nd October

Use the links below to book your free tickets to these online discussions:

Radical solutions to poverty – give everyone £5,200? 

1pm – 2pm

Narratives for change: the power of culture to engage us with the climate emergency 

3pm – 4pm

Can education build a sustainable society? 

5pm – 6pm

Should we stop eating fish? 

7pm – 8pm

Explore the full programme: festivalofpolitics.scot

Scottish Government publishes education recovery strategy

‘Missed opportunity’, says EIS

Plans to help Scotland’s education system continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic have been published by the Scottish Government – but Scotland’s biggest teaching union the EIS has dismissed the plans as a ‘missed opportunity’ and say Scotland must show more ambition.

Created with input from across the sector, including young people, the Education Recovery strategy outlines how almost £500 million has been used to support learners and staff across the country.

The publication also sets out how the Scottish Government will continue to provide ongoing support to the sector.

This includes:

  • further support for learners who are sitting exams in 2022
  • access to in-school mental health and wellbeing support that young people need, including counselling services
  • recruiting 3,500 additional teachers and 500 support staff over this parliamentary term
  • expanding funded early learning and childcare for children aged 1 and 2, starting with low-income households
  • committing £1 billion to tackle the poverty related attainment gap and support education recovery

Speaking after visiting the site of the new £47.2 million Wallyford Secondary Learning Facility, Ms Somerville said: “Our collaborative and ambitious programme of support to aid recovery right across our education sector has been underway for many months.

“Schools are still dealing with the pandemic and we will continue to support them through these challenging time. However, as a Government we must also be focused on recovery. Supporting children and young people remains our top priority, and almost £500 million of additional funding has already been committed during 2020/21 and 2021/22 as part of education recovery. Of this, £240m is to recruit extra staff to ensure resilience and to provide additional support for learners and teachers.

“Other initiatives will play a crucial role, such as the provision of free school breakfasts and lunches all year round for all children in P1-7, digital devices for every child, abolition of fees for instrumental music tuition, removal of core curriculum charges, and our extended early learning and childcare offer.

“Pupils sitting exams in spring 2022 will be offered a package of support, which will include online revision classes and targeted help for those who need it most. At the heart of all of this is our children and young people, who we will ensure have the opportunities they need to fulfil their potential in school and beyond.”

Read Education Recovery: Key Actions and Next Steps.

Commenting following the publication of the plan, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: “Clearly, there are significant elements within the plan to be welcomed – not least the commitment to increasing teacher numbers, the creation of more permanent posts to tackle the scandal of 10% of current teaching posts being temporary, and the reduction in class contact time to 21 hours.

“Overall, however, the plan largely restates existing workstreams and fails to promote a single big initiative such as a reduction in class sizes, which would catalyse an education recovery programme and bring immediate benefits to Scotland’s children and young people.

“Smaller class sizes, even on a limited basis as a starting point, such as P2 and P3 or S1 and S2, would mean more teacher time per pupil and assist with targeted interventions where the pandemic has impacted disproportionately on children’s lives. As a country, we need to be bolder in our ambitions for our youth.”

Responding to the Education Recovery Plan, a spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition commented: “While we welcome the commitment to help Scotland’s education system continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic through this plan, greater action is needed to improve the mental health and wellbeing of our young people.

“Even prior to the pandemic cases of poor mental health were at unprecedented levels and there are a growing number of vulnerable children who cannot access adequate support. At the end June 2021, 1,686 children and young people had been waiting over a year for treatment from specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), double that of the previous year.

“Increased funding to deliver new and enhanced community-based services, including counselling services, as outlined in the plan is welcomed. This however comes on the back of funding restrictions to these services. We must look to greatly increased investment in an expanded range of mental health services as part of a national crusade to address the impacts of the pandemic.

“We have for some time raised concerns over a potential lost generation of vulnerable children and young people, whose mental health is being impacted even further by the COVID-19 pandemic.  It is more important than ever that children can access the support they need, when they need it, irrespective of where they live.

“This is a crisis we can overcome, but it will require a similar energy and commitment to that demonstrated for COVID-19 if we are to achieve this and prevent many young people giving up on their futures.”

Local High Schools to take part in nationwide Hydrogen challenge

Secondary school pupils will compete against thousands from across Scotland to build the best green-hydrogen powered Lego vehicle to highlight the role the fuel could play in tackling climate change.

More than 700 pupils from across the city will have just two hours to design, build and race a green hydrogen-fuelled vehicle of their own design as part of the nationwide Scottish Schools Hydrogen Challenge.

And over the next two weeks, competitors will be challenged to design vehicles that can travel the furthest on the zero-emission fuel, for a spot in the regional final at the Assembly Rooms on October 8th.

The three best teams from the regionals will then take part in a grand final in Glasgow during the COP26 climate conference in November where they will be pitted against pupils from Fort William, Wick, Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth and Stirling and Glasgow.

Councillor Ian Perry, Education, Children and Families convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Engaging and empowering young people on climate change is vital as Edinburgh transitions towards net zero by 2030.

“Green hydrogen has the potential to prevent millions of tonnes from being released into the atmosphere. This competition is an excellent opportunity to engage young people ion innovating for a net zero future whilst also creating a learning environment which will drive higher levels of creativity and improve peer collaboration.”

Councillor Adam McVey, Leader of City of Edinburgh Council, added: “We know that climate change is a subject which is really important to young people across our city.

“This national challenge not only provides young people with opportunities to apply learning from STEM subjects to this competition but will help to highlight the role that new technologies such as green-hydrogen play in helping to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and tackle climate change.

“It will also provide the finalists with a unique and memorable experience of competing at COP26 during the global conference and show we can be inspired by the solutions to climate change.”

Pupils from James Gillespie’s High School, Broughton High School, The Royal High School, Leith Academy, Liberton High School, St Augustine’s High School, Portobello High School and Drummond High School will all take part in the national challenge which is run in partnership with  Arcola Energy, ITM Power and ScottishPower.

Our World: Maths Week Scotland

Maths Week Scotland 27 September – 3 October 2021

mathsweek.scot

#mathsweekscot

@mathsweekscot

Maths Week Scotland is back for its fifth year from 27 September to 3 October 2021. Local schools across Edinburgh, Lothians and Scottish Borders are joining in the fun with a wide range of activities and exciting programmes taking place during the week.

Maths Week Scotland is part of the Scottish Government’s drive to encourage positive attitudes to numeracy and maths and is developed and delivered by National Museums Scotland. The Small Grants Fund, a partnership between the Edinburgh Mathematical Society, the Glasgow Mathematical Journal Trust and the Scottish Government, has supported 75 activities across the country. These activities are taking place in schools and local community groups.

The theme for 2021 is ‘Our World’, exploring the importance of maths in understanding and responding to the climate emergency, whilst also finding maths in the world around us. School pupils across Edinburgh, Lothians and Scottish Borders will learn about this crucial topic through activities such as outdoor learning, a Maths Enrichment club and a mini beast project.

Science centres and museums across Scotland have also received additional funding from Maths Week Scotland to support in a series of activities and challenges encouraging innovation and participation.

Edinburgh’s five star visitor attraction, Dynamic Earth, will be launching a digital workshop on the topic of ‘Navigating Our World’, to explore how successful navigation was achieved in the past, and how it is now done in the present day.

Edinburgh Central library is hosting a free, drop-in shape and number trail for under 10s, plus additional maths and STEM books will be available to take out on loan.

The National Mining Museum Scotland in Newtongrange will also be host to a number of maths-themed activities for young visitors, including a mining version of snakes and ladders, quoits, bean bag toss, making patterns with coal, dressing up as a miner and handling mining objects.

Meanwhile, in East Lothian, Prestongrange Museum, John Muir’s Birthplace Museum, Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery and John Gray Centre will all be launching maths-related trails and activities linked to each specific site.

Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery will launch a time-related activity based on the clock and two sundials on the exterior of the building, while events at the John Gray Centre will focus on money and transactions, reflecting the commercial history or East Lothian and linking to trade tokens on display.

Katie Oldfield, Maths Week Scotland co-ordinator, said: “We’re proud to be bringing Maths Week Scotland back for its fifth consecutive year. It’s great to see that so many schools have come up with exciting activities that reflect our theme for this year.

“Maths is found everywhere in the world around us, but it is also a key part of the solution when it comes to tackling climate change. It was really inspiring to see many of our schools presenting this sometimes complex subject in a fun and engaging way.”

The schools programme is core to Maths Week Scotland. Schools and community projects receiving grants in Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders are:

·         Stenhouse Primary School: Taking Maths Outdoors – Numeracy and outdoor learning equipment

·         Balerno High School: Maths Enrichment Club – setting up a Maths Enrichment club at lunchtimes to support enjoyment and develop problem solving and team work skills in Maths.

·         Oxgangs Maths Club: Families can do maths together

·         Edinburgh Central Library: Maths Week at the Library – Central Library and the Children’s Library are hosting a variety of fun Maths-themed events for adults and children, from pattern-making to Möbius strips!

West Lothian

·         Greenrigg Primary School: Mini-beast Maths

Midlothian

·         Stobhill Primary school: Let’s get Creative at Stobhill!- interactive maths kits

Borders

·         Berwickshire High School: Mathematics and citizenship of the world

This year, Maths Week Scotland is also supported by winner of The Great British Bake Off 2020, Peter Sawkins, in collaboration with National Numeracy.

Peter is hosting a virtual assembly on 29 September, which will be streamed from the National Museum of Scotland to participating schools to learn about the maths involved in baking.

Maths Week Scotland has a supporting year-round programme for schools, families, adults and community groups. This is part of an ongoing drive to transform Scotland into a maths-positive nation through raising the profile of maths and encouraging enthusiasm for maths across the country.

National Museums Scotland is working with a wide range of organisations and collaborators to support and deliver Maths Week Scotland activity across Scotland.

For a full list of contributors and to view the whole programme, visit: 

www.mathsweek.scot

Scotland rolls out LGBT inclusive education across curriculum

Scotland has become the first country in the world to embed lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) inclusive education across the school curriculum.

Focused on promoting equality, reducing bullying and improving the educational experiences of LGBT children and young people, subjects across age groups will now include LGBT identities, issues and history.

Support to help schools deliver this includes:

  • a website where school staff, parents, carers, children and young people can access information to support LGBT children and young people
  • a basic awareness e-learning course for education staff on LGBT inclusive education
  • a toolkit of LGBT inclusive education teaching resources 

Parents, teachers, young people and LGBT organisations helped to develop the website, e-learning course and teaching resources.

Children’s Minister Clare Haughey said: “I am proud to say that Scotland is leading the way as the first country in the world to embed LGBT inclusive education right across the curriculum. By doing so, we can help young people to reach their full potential and flourish in a diverse and inclusive society.

“The launch of this ground-breaking suite of resources for schools takes us another step forward in ensuring that our curriculum is as diverse as the young people who learn in our schools.

“The Scottish Government, in partnership with COSLA, is determined to provide a fully inclusive education for Scotland’s children and young people.”

COSLA Children and Young People Spokesperson Cllr Stephen McCabe said: “Improving inclusion in our schools is a priority for Local Government. We welcome the materials published today, which will assist schools, teachers and education staff to drive this important agenda forward, ensuring all children and young people receive the support they need.”

Time for Inclusive Education co-founder Jordan Daly said: “I experienced bullying and prejudice at school for being gay, and it had a detrimental impact on my confidence and wellbeing for some time.

“This new website, and the supporting resources, which have been co-developed with teachers across Scotland, will support teachers to take a proactive, educational approach to tackling prejudice. Most importantly, this work will empower young people and provide them with an opportunity I didn’t have at school – to feel valued, confident, and proud of who they are.”

National Parent Forum of Scotland Chair Margaret Wilson said: “We welcome the roll-out of LGBT inclusive education across the school curriculum.

“With other stakeholders, we have developed an information resource on LGBT inclusive education for parents and carers to help them to support their children and ensure they have a positive educational experience, using an approach underpinned by children’s rights, kindness and respect.”

The new website is here: www.lgbteducation.scot

Tackling wildlife crime: Operation Wingspan enters final phase

Operation Wingspan, a year-long campaign to tackle wildlife crime, working with partners, including the Partnership Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) Scotland, has seen considerable success and is now entering its final phase.

This involves officers working on the persecution of fresh water pearl mussels and tackling all aspects of poaching, including hare coursing. As with previous phases, it will involve a combination of enforcement action and education.

Overall, the campaign has involved officers engaging with a number of organisations, including the agricultural community, ranger services, land managers and game keepers with the aim of educating the wider public and encouraging them to report wildlife crime to the police.

Detective Sergeant Billy Telford, Police Scotland’s Wildlife Crime Co-ordinator, said: “We have many internationally renowned species that attract thousands of nature lovers and tourists every year to Scotland, but many crimes against wildlife are cruel and barbaric, often involving a painful death.

“From hunting deer, hares or badgers with dogs, to using poisons or snares on protected birds, and protecting one of our lesser known species, the critically endangers freshwater pearl mussel, Operation Wingspan is raising awareness and hopefully encouraging people to come forward and report this kind of crime.”

Operation Wingspan began in October 2020 and Phase One saw officers tackling the trade in endangered species and included visits to over 300 business premises, such as antique dealers, retro shops and pet shops across Scotland to advise owners and provide information about potential contraventions under The Control of Trade in Endangered Species (COTES) 2018 regulations.

It resulted in the seizure and recovery of alligator heads from across the country.

Phase Two tackled badger persecution, working with the charity Scottish Badgers, to highlight that badgers and their setts are protected, that it is an offence to harm or interfere with them and that badger baiting is illegal. Where ongoing risks were identified, action was taken to protect the sett and the badgers.

Phase Three saw officers taking part in a construction conference to outline the responsibilities of developers, highlighting that it is an offence to destroy or damage roosts, as well as engaging with bat groups and visiting vulnerable roosts, ultimately leading to people being charged for undertaking development that threatened the welfare of bats.

In Phase Four concentrated on raptor persecution. Officers have carried out a number of activities, including patrols of vulnerable nesting sites, warrants executed in relation to wildlife crime and a social media campaign with an educational video that was produced in collaboration with the RSPB.

Detective Chief Superintendent Laura McLuckie said: “Reports of wildlife crime doubled during lockdown and Police Scotland is dedicated to working closely with a wide range of partner organisations to reduce the harm to species targeted by criminals and the communities who rely on them for employment and tourism across Scotland.

“Tackling wildlife crime is not just about enforcement, it is also about working with partners and raising public awareness to prevent it happening. Indeed, the public has an important role in helping up to investigate reports of wildlife crime and I would urge anyone with concerns or who suspect a wildlife crime has been committed to contact us on 101, and if it is an emergency to call 999.”

More information can be found on the website: 

https://www.scotland.police.uk/wildlifecrime

Exams back on the timetable for Scotland’s schoolchildren

National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams will be held in spring 2022 if public health advice allows, the Scottish Government has announced.

The decision has been informed by public health advice and by the views of partners, including those on the National Qualifications Group, which includes representatives of young people, parents, teachers and other education professionals.

Course content has been reduced compared to a normal year to take account of the disruption to learning that young people have experienced. These modifications have already been confirmed by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

Due to uncertainty over the pandemic, two contingency plans will be in place.

If there is further significant disruption to learning as a result of COVID-19, but it is still safe for exams to go ahead, there will be further modifications to courses and assessment.

If public health conditions do not allow for an exam diet to take place, awards will be made on teachers’ judgements based on normal in–year assessment. 

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Exams will take place next year if safe to do so.

“Fairness for learners sitting exams in 2022 is at the heart of our plans. Assessment modifications across national courses for the next academic session have already been confirmed by the SQA in recognition of the disruption to learning that young people have experienced. We will set out details on further support available for learners in September.

“Careful contingency planning has taken place in case there is further significant disruption to learning or if public health conditions do not allow for the holding of an examination diet.

“These contingencies offer stability for teachers and learners in the coming academic session and will allow their focus to be on normal practices in teaching, learning and assessment.  More detailed guidance will be issued by the SQA at the earliest opportunity.”

Commenting on the announcement, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: “It is no surprise that the Scottish Government has stated its intention to reinstate an exam diet in 2022, should public health advice allow.

“The EIS would have preferred to see exams by-passed for S4 students in the interests of supporting education recovery and wellbeing among this cohort.  It remains to be seen whether the reductions in course content for this year as recognition that young people have been adversely affected by the pandemic through no fault of their own, will suffice.

“It is essential that appropriate and robust contingencies are in place should it be necessary to cancel the exam diet on public health grounds. We saw earlier this year the damage caused by decisions being made too late without adequate contingences in place and the huge workload and stress that was placed on students and staff as a result.

“In the longer term, the process of reviewing the qualifications system and replacing the SQA must learn lessons from recent experience. The EIS has long been concerned regarding the lack of accountability of the Scottish Qualifications Authority to the teaching profession and the over-emphasis placed on annual high-stakes exams at the expense of continuous assessment.

“The EIS believes that now is an appropriate time to consider the future shape of learning and assessment in the senior phase, alternative models of timetabling and the timing of qualifications to better serve the needs of Scotland’s learners, as part of the process around replacing the SQA.”