Dr Terry Wrigley submission on the Scottish curriculum and the assessment review
I have a very long interest in curriculum matters: as a teacher in England at a time of rapid development (1970s-80s, since stifled); having charge of curriculum developments in a local authority; as senior lecturer at Edinburgh, teaching new teachers, and Masters and headship courses; then and since retirement, actively publishing in books and articles. I have lived in Scotland since 1995, following closely the education of my children and grandchildren and others in Scottish state schools. (The situation may be different in the independent sector.) A lot of my research has been about the English situation (dire) but I feel l must speak out at this time about my adopted country, following the OECD report, for the sake of its young people.
1) Curriculum, teaching and assessment relate in complex ways, but curriculum (aims and content) should be the starting point, not assessment. However, it is long established (Bernstein etc) that a restricted assessment system can distort teaching and curriculum.
Final exams can washback on the lower secondary years. They also stifle more creative voices in the profession and slow down educational development.
2) There has been no serious consideration of the upper secondary curriculum during Curriculum for Excellence, nor indeed 5-14. This has increased the impact of an examination system led by SQA.
A serious discussion is urgently needed, based on the country and world's needs (social, environmental) and young people's concerns and interests. It could be overseen by a national forum, including the voices of young people, parents, teachers, education experts (often experienced teachers) from universities, etc. but not dominated by an exam board.
3) Scotland is dominated by final exams, to an extent which is unusual in mainland Europe. There is great variation, but some examples from northern countries.
Finland has no external exam till university entrance.
4) The situation remains similar to the rest of the UK. In the words of Mick Waters, former head of the English curriculum authority, "The most studied subject in schools is Past Papers."
In Scotland, various assessment reforms have been attempted (the NAB, National 4-5) but largely technical, encumbering teachers, strengthening central control and increasing the dominance of sit-down final exams over the curriculum through S4-6.
5) An inordinate time is spent honing practice answers, and in some subjects memorising verbatim material for anticipated questions. (This was exacerbated during Covid lockdown; teachers understandably inexperienced in distance learning often relied on revision notes rather than more thoughtful learning.)
6) Countries differ in their national curricula for upper secondary. Some favour more integrated and pupil-centred ways of organising. However, for these notes, I will assume organisation into subjects. I will focus particularly on Higher for examples, though the principles apply more widely.
7) Subjects vary, but English and Maths form nearly half the curriculum for most pupils.
English, in literature, requires study of only two short texts, for example six Scottish poems and a short novel (Stevenson, Steinbeck) of the teacher's choice. This has led to a situation where, I believe, the majority of young people leave S5 or 6 without ever encountering any Shakespeare or Dickens, Shelley or Owen, for example. (This was confirmed, for Shakespeare, by a recent study by NATE)
Maths is highly abstract, technically challenging, and remote from mathematical aspects of the real world, social or natural. It seems designed to select and grade future maths and science undergraduates, rather than to form part of a broad education in the modern world.
8) The dominance of exams impacts strongly on teaching and learning. There should be much more reliance on other forms of assessed activity, mainly school based with moderation by experienced visiting teachers or a panel. The national exam has a roil in moderating and underpinning but not determining the school's grade.
A major part of S5, and other years, should be based on investigation or performance. This would be satisfying for learners (and their teachers), be presented at the end of the course to the satisfaction of parents, and promote Curriculum for Excellence aims and capacities. Topics might also relate to public and pupil concerns.
This will depend on subjects, e.g.
9) Subject choice is often by default i.e subjects not already dropped, rather than a young person's concerns and enthusiasms. The range of typical subjects largely reflects the common university subjects of the 1920s. The current subjects remain valid, but others would be attractive and relate to our world. (Some already exist but more commonly in FE and might need adapting). Here are a few that should promote critical understanding as well as technical skills and knowledge:
10) Altogether current arrangements align badly with the Curriculum for Excellence and its core values / capacities. It is time for reform.