Education Courses (Access)
Curriculum for excellence is built on local flexibility, ensuring that schools meet the best educational needs of their learners and provide access to courses across the curriculum. Decisions on the number of subjects that pupils take should be based on maximising achievement. Learners may study for fewer qualifications at a particular point but leave school with a greater overall level of achievement. It is not surprising that there will be changes in patterns of presentation for qualifications. Indeed, it is extremely difficult to make meaningful comparisons with the statistics, given that we are talking about two completely different qualification systems.
The minister will know that the Scottish curriculum has always been based on offering a broad range of subjects to pupils not only up to secondary 4 but beyond. Analysis of the SQA figures suggests a significant narrowing of that choice. In parts of Scotland, some pupils are taking six courses, while in others some pupils are taking eight. The average number of courses taken is down from 7.3 to 6.8, which is a significant change.
Can we have a question?
There is a particularly marked impact on science and languages, which are down 8 and 10 per cent. That comes on top of a drastic fall in, for example, the number of pupils enrolling to study German. How is the minister addressing that very worrying trend?
As I have mentioned, the member is comparing not only two different qualification systems but two different structures of courses. The number of subjects that are studied in S4 is a decision for individual schools and local authorities, but it should be said that the number of subjects that are studied in S4 does not determine the number of qualifications that a pupil will leave school with. For instance, as I have mentioned in the chamber before, there is a huge variety of language courses on offer now—not just national 4s and 5s but qualifications in languages for life and work. It is also worth saying that the figures are provisional and that the final totals will not be presented until the end of March.
I am not entirely sure whether local flexibility or having such variations is the answer to a national curriculum. As well as the potential inequity and anomalies that are introduced by such a system, we have a decision to introduce a brand new appeals system this year. Given that anomalies are likely to be thrown up and the Scottish Government has limited the opportunities that are available to pupils to appeal, what recourse will pupils have and what action will the minister take if there is inequity?
First, as I am sure the member is aware, Scotland does not have a national curriculum as he suggests. Despite the name, curriculum for excellence is a change in the methodology of teaching and examining. It should be said that standards are absolutely being maintained; indeed, there is every evidence to suggest that the new exams will be very challenging.
Will the minister outline the support that is being provided for teachers ahead of the new nationals?
An unprecedented level and range of support is being provided. Since 2012, more than £5 million of additional funding has been provided, including two extra in-service days. Perhaps even more important than that has been the involvement of teachers throughout the construction, design and implementation of curriculum for excellence and the new exams and, I hope, a responsiveness to teachers’ points, such as the fast-tracking of material in response to teacher requests on nationals 4 and 5 and their assessments.
Despite what the minister says, an S4 pupil from Falkirk has written in today’s Scotsman:
We welcome and receive comment from young people and people who are sitting exams around the country. As I understand it, the person who is concerned and who has written the letter feels that the exams in the coming diet will be too easy. However, I certainly do not think that the SQA or any experts who are responsible for setting our exams would agree with that stance. The SQA has a gold standard when it comes to maintaining standards in our exam system, and I have complete confidence in it.