Think-tank commission challenges Scottish Government over education

An independent commission chaired by educationalist Keir Bloomer has challenged the Scottish Government to act with more urgency to improve education standards.

In its first publication since it was reformed earlier this year, the Commission for School Reform, set up by think-tank Reform Scotland, said the SNP should clarify how they can close the attainment gap without compromising standards among the top performers.

“Transformational change” not “incremental advances” are required, the paper suggests.

Keir Bloomer, a former director of education who was a key architect in the Curriculum for Excellence said the government had been right to focus on both raising attainment for all and on the outcomes for the poorest kids.

“However, the time has come to get specific about some of the hurdles that need to be overcome to achieve those valid ambitions,” he said.

Amongst its members the commission includes representatives of teacher and parent groups, former Labour education minister Peter Peacock and SCDI chief executive Ross Martin.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said reducing the attainment gap was an "absolute priority" for government, and that contributions to the debate were welcome. 

“This year, we launched the Scottish Attainment Challenge, backed by the £100 million Attainment Scotland Fund, to target intensive support for young people in some of Scotland’s most-deprived communities. Our Access to Education fund has also seen £3 million invested over the past two years to support learning and raise attainment in schools across Scotland.

“We are also developing a National Improvement Framework so that we have the best evidence to see where we are succeeding and where we need to do more," she said.

Scottish Labour Opportunity Spokesperson Iain Gray said the government should be ashamed of its record on education. “Too many young people are leaving our schools without the skills they need to access the jobs of the future,” he said.

The Scottish Conservatives called the publication a “stark message”.

“There is no doubt that raising attainment across the board should be the number one priority, neither is there any doubt that this must not be at the expense of the brighter pupils,” said young people spokeswoman Liz Smith.

An independent review of Scottish Education was carried out by OECD earlier in the year, the findings of which have yet to be published