Education Bill needs ‘overhaul’ to deliver ‘genuine reform’, Labour says

Ministers are being urged to overhaul education reforms being debated at Holyrood – with Labour MSPs insisting they will not back the proposals unless they deliver “genuine reform”.

The Scottish Government has brought forward legislation that aims to establish a new organisation, Qualifications Scotland, to take the place of existing exams body the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

The Education (Scotland) Bill also includes plans to establish a chief inspector of education, who would be tasked with inspecting nurseries, schools and colleges across Scotland.

But Holyrood’s Education Committee has already warned the Bill needs “substantial amendment” to ensure the improvements ministers want to see are brought about.

Labour education spokeswoman Pam Duncan-Glancy has now claimed that as it stands the legislation will only result in a “superficial rebrand” of the SQA.

She spoke out ahead of MSPs debating hundreds of amendments to the Bill in a sitting that is expected to last until 10pm on Tuesday.

Ms Duncan-Glancy said: “Scottish Labour will not back a Bill that is just tinkering around the edges of a system that is failing pupils, families and teachers.”

Labour has brought forward amendments to the legislation seeking to set up a new independent body called Curriculum Scotland, which would be charged with developing the curriculum and regulating qualifications.

Labour also wants to give Holyrood the ability to set in statute the minimum frequency at which school inspections should take place.

Other changes it is proposing include requiring both Qualifications Scotland and the chief inspector to engage with trade unions, as well as amendments which seek to ensure the voices of children and young people are heard when determining how both new bodies should operation.

Speaking ahead of the amendments being debated, Ms Duncan-Glancy said: “We can see the consequences of SNP incompetence in our once-world-class schools – performance is declining, the attainment gap is growing, and violence is rife.

“The SQA has lost the trust of teachers and the public – it needs to be abolished, but all the SNP has come up with is a superficial rebrand.

“Only Scottish Labour’s plans will genuinely scrap the SQA, deliver on the experts’ calls to separate powers and create a qualifications body with teachers, children and parents at its heart.”

She added: “Scotland’s young people are our country’s greatest asset – they need genuine reform and we will not vote for anything that falls short of this.

“It is not too late for the SNP to listen to the experts and overhaul this legislation so it delivers genuine change and rebuilds public trust.”

Conservative education spokesperson Miles Briggs similarly accused SNP ministers of being “in complete denial about the widespread changes that are needed to transform Scottish education after 18 years of failure on their watch”.

The Tory MSP said: “It is shocking that they are simply planning to rebadge the SQA which is not fit for purpose and needs to be consigned to the history books once and for all.”

He added: “I hope the SNP will take this opportunity and support amendments brought forward by both the Scottish Conservatives and others to make this Bill fit for purpose and give Scots the world-class education system they deserve.”

Meanwhile, Scottish Green education spokesman Ross Greer said it was time for a “fresh start” in education.

“Senior leadership at the SQA was given the opportunity to change over many years, but refused to do so,” he said.

“Replacing the organisation with one designed to listen to teachers and students should mean an end to the constant cycle of scandals.

“Now we can begin rebuilding the trust which was so completely destroyed over the last decade and put the focus back on supporting students.”

He added: “Time and again the SQA could have avoided making catastrophic mistakes if they had simply listened to the experts in Scottish education, those in our schools and colleges.

“Green MSPs will be proud to vote for this Bill and replace the SQA with an organisation ready to meet the needs of Scotland’s students.”

Last year, Douglas Ross, convener of Holyrood’s Education, Children and Young People Committee, said “substantial changes” are still required to the Bill.

The committee’s report, published in December, backed the replacement of SQA and the creation of an independent inspectorate, but the MSPs said they did “not yet have sufficient information on wider education reform”.

Their report added that the committee “believes the Bill will require substantial amendment to ensure that the improvements envisaged by the Scottish Government in relation to engagement, governance, organisational culture and accountability become a reality for learners, teachers and staff”.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “I have engaged extensively with MSPs from across the Parliament to further develop the legislation.

“Importantly, the Bill includes proposals from each of the parties represented on the Education Committee and takes into account the views of teachers, parents, carers, trade unions, and children and young people.

“The programme of Education Reform, within and outwith legislation and including the creation of Qualifications Scotland, will build on this success and bring about real change to strengthen the national education landscape.”