Summary of SPF Education Paper
Dear Colleague,
I would like to add a personal “thank-you” to that issued by the Central Office team, for taking the time to respond to the recent Education paper. I found the responses extremely interesting and, notwithstanding, some very different views expressed, there were also a great many common themes.
I am very grateful for all the detail you have provided and, in my deliberations with the education professions, I will also be pursuing several policy discussions. Thereafter, it is my intention to review various policy options to see if any require change or fine-tuning.
I am very grateful to you.
Liz Smith MSP
Thank you very much for participating in the first Scottish Policy Forum paper on Education. The responses we received were interesting and thought-provoking. It was fascinating to see that while some common themes emerged under certain questions, the opinion on others was divided and arguments were well presented from all sides. We also received a large number of other comments on more specific issues that were not covered in the paper. This means that while we can provide an overview of the responses, we are not able to itemise every single point mentioned. Rest assured that your opinion, along with a continuous engagement with the educational world, will be fed into future policy discussions.
We have summarised the responses on a question by question basis.
- Priorities for early years
The responses recognised financial pressures in the current economic climate. A common theme was the need to prioritise children from disadvantaged backgrounds, but the ordering of priorities we listed was more or less evenly distributed. Overall, the extension of nursery care to disadvantaged 2 year olds and enhanced parental support were given marginally more preferences in the responses.
- Other priorities
Responses to this question were wide-ranging and a lot of interesting ideas were received. Most of the responses expressed literacy and numeracy as their priorities, while others focused on development of personalities, socialisation skills or imagination. The importance of parental support and the effect of the home environment overall on early education were highlighted as well.
- Traditional methods of teaching and testing
There was an overwhelming level of support for a return to more traditional methods of teaching and a clear focus on the 3Rs. The suggested means to this end were, however, varied. While there were some calls for a National Curriculum, quite a few responses recognised the discrepancy between this and our commitment to extending school independence. Some respondents argued that the focus should be mostly on teacher training and a sharing of best practice across schools.
- STEM focus
The overall theme emerging from the responses to this question seemed to be an agreement with the need to increase focus on STEM subjects, although some responses argued this should not come at the expense of others, most importantly arts, history and languages (both English and foreign).
- Comprehensive education beyond S2
The responses were overwhelmingly supportive of the idea of abandoning comprehensive education at some point during secondary education to be replaced by a choice between a more vocational or academic curriculum – this would benefit students of differing interests and abilities. A significant portion of respondents argued that S2 might be a bit too early and would give that benchmark more consideration. It was argued that many children at the age of 13-14 do not know what they want to do in future and that many talents take longer to be discovered. It was also pointed out that while this policy might be easier to implement in urban areas, rural areas might be better servedby the present model.
- School discipline and government role
It is very clear from the responses that our emphasis on discipline is an appropriate one. Respondents understood the complexity of the issue and some stressed that parents have a key role to play in the problem. Overall, there was wide recognition of the importance of headteacher autonomy, but most responses would welcome central government involvement in the form of guidelines or, indeed, in an enabling role by introducing legislation to extend headteacher autonomy.
- Persistently disruptive pupils
Virtually all responses acknowledge that disruptive pupils are a very serious problem and most agree that removing them from other pupils is a good option. Some concerns were raised over the setting of criteria for removal and it was emphasised that second chance centres should only be the last resort. It was also argued that the details of such centres needed to be made clear, i.e. their governance (independent?), staff requirements (teachers or specialists?) and attendance (residential centres?). A few respondents argued, in line with point 5 above, that streaming according to ability/interest would alleviate the problem, whilst some argued that stricter criteria for progression through primary education (i.e. rigid 3Rs testing) are key.
- Other methods for school discipline
A wide array of opinions was expressed in answering this question. Ideas ranged from strict enforcement of compulsory uniforms, through stricter detention rules to a reintroduction of corporal punishment, albeit with an acknowledgement of the political viability (or lack thereof) of such a proposal. A lot of responses stressed the importance of parenting, with some even suggesting a system of punishing parents. Other submissions emphasised teaching styles and lesson content as being important contributory factors. Furthermore, the balancing of punishment and reward was highlighted by a few responses. Extra-curricular activities, for example, could be used to reward good behaviour, whilst limiting access to them could be punitive.
- School control and diversity
Most responses were in favour of greater diversity and expressed support to the idea of alternative school models and the possibility of opting out of local authority control. Some responses, however, argued strongly for retention of local authority control on the grounds of accountability, whilst others argued for a removal of local authority controlcompletely. Concerns were expressed over how a removal of control would work in practice - funding arrangements, oversight of quality and differing circumstances in urban and rural areas.
- Headteacher contract renewal
Respondents were evenly divided on this subject. A sizable proportion did not understand the reasoning behind the proposal. A few respondents argued that length of contract is not the only accountability factor – head teacher employment should be linked to performance and if there is a significant slump, action needs to be taken regardless of the length of contract.
- National pay-scales
An overwhelming majority of responses argued for retention of national pay-scales, but some commented on the drawbacks of such a system. National union pressure was mentioned, as well as the need to take regional differences into account. A few submissions argued that it is important for head teachers to have the necessary tools to reward good performance, although most concluded this should be done within a national pay-scale framework.
- Graduate contribution
All but a few respondents agreed that at least a portion of university funding should come from students in some form. Many expressed concerns about the pressures young people are subjected to, with people who don’t really want to study at university being pushed into higher education by government targets and a society where postgraduate degrees equal what undergraduate degrees stood for in the past. This was in line with views about the importance of streaming students across all levels of education. A significant number of responses commended our policy as realistic, honest and moral, but acknowledged the difficulties of making it politically viable.
The exact shape and form of the financial contribution was also discussed. While some argued for tuition fees, most responses agreed with a graduate contribution policy. It was stressed that the English £9,000 figure was excessive and that any graduate contribution should be payable post-graduation, after commencing employment and be means tested. A few respondents stressed the importance of extending student bursary schemes and some argued for an end to the 4 year long undergraduate course structure to be replaced by standard 3 year long degrees.
- RUK/EU anomaly
Out of those that did respond to this question, the majority agreed the system was unbalanced and unfair. Most argued that there should be a level playing field for Scottish, rUK and EU students, with either none or all contributing. It was pointed out that an introduction of a graduate contribution would solve the problem – this was a running theme in the responses received. Some have argued that the party should stay away from this topic, while others see it as an opportunity for advocating a withdrawal from the EU. A number of respondents pointed out that the anomaly would not exist in an independent Scotland and that Scottish Conservatives should do more to press the Education Secretary on his funding plans for the future.
- College policies
Only around half of respondents provided an answer to this question. Some felt that the variety of college courses on offer was damaging and expressed their preference for specific courses to be focused on, each according to the personal opinion of the respondent (most of them, however, preferred vocational courses). Another running theme was the need to develop closer links with the private sector for training and apprenticeships. A few respondents argued that the most significant change needed was a societal one – a shift from the perception of colleges as ‘second-class universities’ to one where college education is valued in its own right.
- College and university governance
The rather technical nature of the question resulted in only a small number of responses. Most of these expressed the need to limit political influence and centralisation over further and higher education and stressed the importance of autonomy. Some pointed out that the only overarching principle in governance should be a pursuit of excellence. A few responses argued that we should be open to considering college and university mergers, while a few claimed the current system works well.