Responding to the passage of the Education (Scotland) Bill in the
Scottish Parliament late last night, the Educational Institute of
Scotland (EIS), the country's largest teaching union, has
reflected its disappointment that the consensual vision and
recommendations for reform arising from a swathe of education
reviews will not be realised.
Commenting, General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “This is an
opportunity missed to improve the learning environment of pupils
and students and the working conditions of Scotland's teachers
and lecturers. There has been a considerable investment both of
time and public resource on the range of consultations focusing
on Education Reform over the last five years. The consensus
reached and the changes required and identified in the Muir
Review, the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessments
and the National Discussion cannot be ignored.”
Ms Bradley continued, “Teachers have been clear that their
professional voice must be central to decision making in the new
national agencies, particularly Qualifications Scotland. We are
less than persuaded that the Bill will deliver this, and the
meaningful culture change, that is so urgently required.
Teachers, lecturers, learners and their families need to be
convinced through the actions of the new agency that the Bill
amounts to more than a rebranding exercise. The retention of the
accreditation function within Qualifications Scotland has done
nothing to change this perception and the prospect of yet another
review two years down the line simply prolongs the process,
postponing implementation of essential reforms and adding to the
frustrations of teachers, lecturers and other stakeholders who
have made their views clear in this respect.”
Ms Bradley added, “Whilst the EIS noted the stated intent that
the Chief Inspector's Office should be independent of government,
in reality the provisions of the Bill do not provide this
assurance or indeed, any real clarity about governance and the
role of teachers in this new inspectorate. With Scottish
Ministers having power over key reporting functions, staffing and
funding arrangements, we are not confident that the legislative
changes enable the requisite meaningful change for inspection
outlined in the Muir Review. Teachers across Scotland are anxious
to see the promised meaningful change of the practice and culture
of inspections. We need to see a departure from top-down
accountability approaches, that stifle collaborative practice and
drive unnecessary workload and stress. A practical first step
would be to put an end to the insidious practice of labelling
schools through grading processes.”
In concluding, General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “The EIS is
clear on the fundamental principle that the structural changes
introduced by the Bill, limited though they may be, must be
matched by cultural reform. This reform must include recognition
of teacher professionalism, the imperative of the human-centred
approach to educational improvement, and the need for greater
investment in education to support the continued delivery of high
quality teaching and learning for the children and young people
of Scotland.”
