Think tank urges overhaul of curriculum it says is ‘harming’ child prospects

Education experts have said the Curriculum for Excellence should be overhauled, warning that it is “harming the long-term prospects of a generation of children”.

The Commission on School Reform, the education arm of the independent think tank Enlighten, said the place of knowledge has been “devalued” in the current curriculum.

Ahead of the Holyrood elections, it has published a manifesto that makes a series of recommendations, including that the curriculum should be “knowledge-based”.

The manifesto also calls for the abolition of Education Scotland and says curriculum policy should be “strategic and limited in extent”.

It also recommends that objective assessment under examination conditions should remain the main component in assessment for qualifications from Qualifications Scotland (formerly SQA).

Commission chairman Keir Bloomer, a former director of education who was involved in the creation but not the implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), said: “Curriculum for Excellence was sound in theory, but it has been poor in implementation and practice and is now harming the long-term prospects of a generation of children.

“There are two large problems with CfE. Firstly, the place of knowledge in the curriculum has been devalued.

“Increasing research evidence about how learning takes place and the importance of knowledge and long-term memory has been neglected.

“A focus on ill-defined ’21st century skills’ – now often described as ‘meta-skills’ – has left pupils ill-equipped for further learning.

“Secondly, there is no adequate specification of curriculum content. The experiences and outcomes which seek to fulfil this purpose are vague and difficult for teachers to interpret and put into practice.

“As a result, there is little consistency of approach from school to school, and secondary schools lack certainty about the prior educational experience of those coming from primary.

“We must be big enough and bold enough to admit when we have made a strategic mistake, and reverse it before any more damage is done.”

For pupils with additional support needs (ASN) the commission said it should be recognised that current arrangements are “unsustainable”, adding a commitment should be made to implementing the outcomes of the recommended review of pastoral care and ASN.

The manifesto also recommends that school autonomy should be increased, particularly in relation to curriculum delivery, behaviour management, deployment of staff and use of resources.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We fully agree with the commission on the importance of knowledge and recognise the need to improve our curriculum in a planned and systematic way. It would, however, be disingenuous to suggest that Scotland’s curriculum is not already knowledge-rich.

“Work is progressing through the Curriculum Improvement Cycle, with maths the first subject to be updated. Ministers also agree with the commission’s position on the retention of examinations – that was a key component of the Cabinet Secretary’s response to the Hayward Review. Ministers also agree that school autonomy should be strengthened – that is why we have asked John Wilson, the former head teacher of Broughton High School, in Edinburgh, to lead work on identifying future reform priorities. He is initially focusing his work on three key areas that reflect the ambition to empower school leadership.

“To further help assist those with Additional Support Needs, Janie McManus, the Scottish Government’s professional adviser for education, is leading a review to strengthen additional support for learning. This will conclude before the end of this parliamentary term and was agreed to through cross-party engagement on ASN with the Cabinet Secretary.”