Changes to Scottish exams expected in ‘early days’ of next term, says Gilruth

Reforms to Scotland’s exams system will be revealed in the coming weeks, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has said.

The Scottish Government took the decision to overhaul the system with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) to be replaced by Qualifications Scotland.

Speaking as pupils are set to receive their exam results on Tuesday, Ms Gilruth told the BBC she had previously instructed the current body to look at how some exams could be replaced.

“Scotland has a high number of final exams that our young people sit,” she said.

“We have high stakes examinations in S4, S5 and S6 and across (Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, educational systems look really different.

“So, what I’ve asked the SQA this year to do is to look at how we might be able to move at pace at reducing a number of examinations in a certain number of qualifications – that work is already underway.”

Ms Gilruth went on to stress the importance of giving young people “the skills that they need for after they leave school”.

She added that perhaps pupils could “thrive” due to the use of coursework as opposed to final exams.

“I had hoped to … confirm those changes at the end of the parliamentary term,” she said.

“However, due to the election, I wasn’t able to do so, so it will be in the early days of the coming parliamentary session.”

MSPs are due to return to Holyrood after their summer recess in the first week of September.