Scottish Government must stop ‘self-congratulation’ says educationalist

Independent education consultant Keir Bloomer has said a relaunched Commission on School Reform will examine strategies to improve Scottish education, but it cannot be preluded by “self congratulation” by ministers.

In a blog on the website of independent think-tank Reform Scotland, Bloomer condemned a legacy of “denial and bluster” by the Scottish Government, but noted a "refreshing change in tone".

“In the 2012 international comparisons of educational standards, England and Scotland performed almost identically, but the political reactions were very different. What was seen as a dismal failure in England was portrayed as another triumph in Scotland.

“Neither of these is a helpful attitude, but my concern is with Scotland.  Self-congratulation is seldom the prelude to improvement. It has, therefore, been very refreshing to note a definite change in the tone of Scottish Government statements on education over the past few months,” he said.

However in a speech in Edinburgh today First Minister Nicola Sturgeon insisted Scottish education was a “success story”, and would do “whatever works” to make improvements.

Bloomer added: “Scotland tends not to be short of worthwhile ideas. What it lacks is effective means of putting them into practice. Virtually the only report to look seriously at this issue is that of the [original] Commission on School Reform, which concluded that the processes of change were too centralised.”

Bloomer told Holyrood about the era of self-congratulation in March. “In Scotland we know remarkably little about how our education system is performing. Not just internationally but also nationally,” he warned.   

The new Commission on School Reform will sit under the auspices of Reform Scotland.