tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/scottish-education-9905/articlesScottish education – The Conversation2018-11-23T14:56:38Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1062702018-11-23T14:56:38Z2018-11-23T14:56:38ZScotland’s attainment gap: three ways to bridge the educational divide<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/246919/original/file-20181122-182056-1kdyod4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">shutterstock crop</span> </figcaption></figure><p>The UK has one of the most socially segregated school systems in the developed world, with <a href="https://theconversation.com/grammar-schools-why-academic-selection-only-benefits-the-very-affluent-74189">academic selection</a> – where children are admitted to a school on the basis of ability – and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/jun/13/parental-choice-education-schools-chains">parental choice</a> at its core.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.oecd.org/about/">Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development</a> (OECD) believes this has a <a href="https://www.oecd.org/education/school/50293148.pdf">negative impact</a> on social equality and a young person’s ability to earn a good income in the future. OECD evidence shows that segregated schools present children with two different perspectives of the world and <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-19548597">affect their life chances</a>.</p>
<h2>Effects of poverty</h2>
<p>There is a strong link between a pupil’s socioeconomic status and <a href="http://www.parliament.scot/ResearchBriefingsAndFactsheets/S5/SB_16-68_Closing_The_Attainment_Gap_What_Can_Schools_Do.pdf">how well they do in school</a>. Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds have a higher chance of failing. Children and young people living in the most deprived communities do significantly worse at all levels of the education system than those from more affluent backgrounds. This is often referred to as the “<a href="http://www.parliament.scot/ResearchBriefingsAndFactsheets/S5/SB_16-68_Closing_The_Attainment_Gap_What_Can_Schools_Do.pdf">attainment gap</a>”.</p>
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<p>In Scotland, it is <a href="http://www.cpag.org.uk/scotland/child-poverty-facts-and-figures">estimated</a> that one in four children is living in poverty. <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/refreshTableAction.do?tab=table&plugin=1&pcode=tessi120&language=en">European Commission figures</a> suggest this is higher than in many other countries in Europe and the <a href="https://www.ifs.org.uk/about">Institute for Fiscal Studies</a> (IFS) <a href="http://www.cpag.org.uk/scotland/child-poverty-facts-and-figures">predicts</a> that more than one-third of children in the UK will be living in poverty by 2021/22.</p>
<p>In 2016, Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, declared that the Scottish government would “draw on successful ideas from around the world” to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds and close the attainment gap. She <a href="https://news.gov.scot/speeches-and-briefings/priorities-speech-taking-scotland-forward">introduced</a> a range of initiatives, not only in the education sector, but across health, childcare, social services, welfare and employment. </p>
<p>Some of these measures introduced as a matter of urgency have already proved controversial, such as the <a href="https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/scottish-government-accused-of-deceiving-parents-over-p1-national-testing-1-4778457">national testing of P1 pupils</a> (a standardised assessment for five-year-olds designed to measure the attainment gap) which parents and teachers complained had caused some children distress. Schools play a significant role, but the initiatives adopted need to follow a long arc of slow structural change. Short-term political fixes have been tried for decades, yet people in Scotland and the rest of the UK continue to live in a deeply unequal society divided by class, income and poverty.</p>
<h2>Following the Finns</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/12/safe-happy-and-free-does-finland-have-all-the-answers">Finland</a> is widely recognised as being an <a href="https://www.oph.fi/download/146428_Finnish_Education_in_a_Nutshell.pdf">educational success story</a>. Like Scotland, it has a population of around five million which shares the same culture, language and a keen sense of social justice. But after World War 2 the Finns recognised that a society divided by class and poverty would weaken their country further, so they embarked on <a href="http://ijse.padovauniversitypress.it/system/files/papers/2014_2_3.pdf">long-term structural reform</a> abolishing private and selective schools in favour of a system in which every child would attend high-quality state schools. The Finns reduced socioeconomic inequality by reducing inequality in the education system.</p>
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<p>Having different educational provisions and greater freedom for parents to choose their preferred school may seem democratic, but it leads to a country that separates children and damages the very fabric of democracy it seeks to champion. I think there are three fundamental ways to help bridge the educational divide in Scotland.</p>
<p>First, as the Finns have done, the government should look beyond parental choice and introduce the “<a href="https://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/46581035.pdf">common school</a>” which provides basic comprehensive education to serve all children equally well, regardless of family background. Not just a form of school organisation, the idea of the common school embodies a philosophy of education as well as a deep <a href="https://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/46581035.pdf">set of values</a> about what all children need and deserve.</p>
<p>Second, the quality of teachers and teaching is crucial for effective learning and can have a demonstrable impact on a disadvantaged pupil’s prospects. Teachers need to be paid at a level that will attract top graduates, so that the profession becomes more appealing and valued.</p>
<p><a href="https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/education-at-a-glance-2018/united-kingdom_eag-2018-70-en#page1">According</a> to the OECD the UK has one of the least well-paid and youngest teaching workforces in the EU, predominantly populated by women. Because teaching is a highly skilled profession, only teachers who are <a href="https://www2.gov.scot/resource/doc/337626/0110852.pdf">academically well-qualified</a>, research literate and socially committed should be encouraged to teach Scotland’s children.</p>
<h2>Freedom and trust</h2>
<p>A long-term solution for reducing the attainment gap is to restore a culture of responsibility and trust within the education system that values teacher and headteacher professionalism in judging what is best for students. The Scottish government has <a href="https://www.gov.scot/policies/schools/pupil-attainment/">pledged £120m</a> directly to headteachers, which although considered a sound idea by the OECD, has been met with concern due to a lack of clear guidance on how this money should be spent.</p>
<p>Striking a balance between accountability and autonomy, with greater levels of responsibility, flexibility and freedom to be creative in addressing pupils’ needs takes time. <a href="https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/education-at-a-glance-2018/united-kingdom_eag-2018-70-en#page6">Research</a> suggests that encouraging schools to make their own decisions about how best to support their pupils to do well is essential for closing the attainment gap.</p>
<p>Third, the <a href="https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/reading-standards-in-scotland-falling-behind-uk-study-warns-1-4512105">standard of literacy has fallen</a> in Scotland over the past four years. Literacy and life chances are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/sep/08/reading-literacy-uk-cbi-schools-read-on-get-on-campaign">closely linked</a>, and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/libraries-deliver-ambition-for-public-libraries-in-england-2016-to-2021/libraries-deliver-ambition-for-public-libraries-in-england-2016-to-2021">evidence</a> suggests that libraries can contribute to improving quality of life for all. Starting with areas that have been designated as <a href="https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/SIMD">deprived</a>, new public libraries should be built or existing community libraries transformed.</p>
<p>Raising the level of literacy is not just about the child, it has to involve the literacy of families and communities too. As we see in places such as Finland and Singapore, public libraries can serve as the educational and cultural bedrock of a community, and could help work towards closing the attainment gap.</p>
<p>Persistent poverty exacerbated by budget cuts and coupled with entrenched mindsets in government and education are all obstacles in the current climate. There is an urgent need to think out of the box and to re-imagine long-term solutions to reverse the inequalities that face disadvantaged children in Scotland.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/106270/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geetha Marcus does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The education system needs an urgent re-think to give children from disadvantaged backgrounds a better chance in life.Geetha Marcus, Lecturer in Education, School of Interdisciplinary Studies, University of GlasgowLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/588282016-05-04T09:53:32Z2016-05-04T09:53:32ZFree university tuition will help SNP defend a very mixed record on education<p>How has education fared in Scotland since the SNP was re-elected in 2011? The first thing to say is that the Scottish government has successfully seen through a major curriculum reform. Launched in 2004 under the <a href="http://www.gov.scot/About/Government/sgprevious/sgprevious2003-2007">Labour-Lib Dem administration</a>, the <a href="http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningandteaching/thecurriculum/whatiscurriculumforexcellence/">Curriculum for Excellence</a> (CfE) covers all learners from aged three upwards. It seeks to shift the focus away from content and knowledge towards enabling learners to achieve more generic outcomes. </p>
<p>The CfE organises all education around four broad capabilities – aiming to make all pupils “successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors” for the rest of their lives. By involving teachers in developing new teaching materials and adopting a rather traditional subject-based focus, the Scottish government for the most part managed to avoid confrontations with teacher unions – albeit there is <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-36198992">talk</a> of action over the extra workload pressure on teachers that the CfE has created. </p>
<p>The principles have been accepted by all the major political parties – but is the CfE really a major reform? In 2015 the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development <a href="http://www.oecd.org/education/school/Improving-Schools-in-Scotland-An-OECD-Perspective.pdf">positively reviewed</a> the implementation of the Scottish education system, but it also accepted that the Scottish government had not collected the evidence to allow a rigorous evaluation of the initiative itself. It warned that the next stage of the policy would be at risk unless the government rectified this.</p>
<p>Some independent evidence does exist, however. My colleague Mark Priestley, who has been studying the new curriculum since its inception, has <a href="http://www.scotedreview.org.uk/media/scottish-educational-review/articles/355.pdf">found that</a> while most teachers welcomed the underlying philosophy, they have tended to stick to existing practices and retained many features of the previous curriculum. What the OECD praised as “elasticity” was often viewed by teachers as a lack of clarity and focus. Still, in spite of its limitations, I think it is probably fair to mark CfE as a success for the SNP. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121062/original/image-20160503-5832-1in0w11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121062/original/image-20160503-5832-1in0w11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121062/original/image-20160503-5832-1in0w11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121062/original/image-20160503-5832-1in0w11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121062/original/image-20160503-5832-1in0w11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121062/original/image-20160503-5832-1in0w11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=520&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121062/original/image-20160503-5832-1in0w11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=520&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121062/original/image-20160503-5832-1in0w11.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=520&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Craigroyston Primary in Edinburgh.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dennajones/4406612291/in/photolist-7Hp3iZ-8sA2ef-7HqkSK-7HsVUU-hrdyn-7Hughs-gP54gd-7HsWmo-9KMCTz-dd57Gn-dAeyLk-8RQ5s2-pEL59L-dzGTzL-7HucEU-qNNrLg-XYigr-7Huf5h-iz76Z-nTmPNq-5imMhF-8xvYDu-9NJybd-9M2DUT-4J8rvU-r81eNn-iKpsgk-gyBVrb-9NF1UU-51igoT-rgjz8T-7HoZR4-gP54pu-7oLF4Y-7Hp2g4-6YEQDy-7HugBL-qBKLrT-7HudDJ-7Hudf5-dsJVLT-6YANRk-7HuckS-nRp6L7-7HuejA-7HqkKX-7HueYf-7HueR5-qkj5rc-7HqiBi">Denna Jones</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
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<h2>Learners great and small</h2>
<p>The picture elsewhere is far from perfect and there are difficulties and challenges in every sector – from early years to adult learning. Only higher education seems like an SNP success, at least at first glance. The government has <a href="http://www.thenational.scot/politics/snp-pledge-to-protect-free-higher-education.12176">maintained its commitment</a> to free university tuition for all, while <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/12179962/Row-over-SNP-funding-cuts-for-poor-university-students.html">cutting grants</a> for the poorest students without anyone much noticing. It has slightly increased university funding to compensate for the absence of fee income and it has managed to push through a <a href="http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Better-university-governance-1a12.aspx">reform of</a> university governance, winning the argument against strong opposition (at least by university standards). </p>
<p>But, under the surface, Scottish higher education faces serious challenges. A series of studies have <a href="http://www.docs.hss.ed.ac.uk/education/creid/NewsEvents/57_iii_WA_PPT_Riddell.pdf">shown that</a> university entry rates for the poorest and the state-educated are significantly below England and Wales. So far, the government has preferred to respond simply by restating its commitment to free tuition. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121061/original/image-20160503-23604-jnoowg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121061/original/image-20160503-23604-jnoowg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121061/original/image-20160503-23604-jnoowg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121061/original/image-20160503-23604-jnoowg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121061/original/image-20160503-23604-jnoowg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121061/original/image-20160503-23604-jnoowg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121061/original/image-20160503-23604-jnoowg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121061/original/image-20160503-23604-jnoowg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Trouble between the shelves?</span>
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<p>In early years education, there can be no doubting the Scottish government’s ambitions – but the number of trained specialists working in the sector <a href="http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1155989/scotland-will-miss-education-goals-with-falling-early-years-teacher-numbers">is falling</a> at a time when demand is expected to rise. I think this has to be classed as making a superficial effort but not actually doing much.</p>
<p>Further education has been put through the mill. Overall funding for colleges has been <a href="http://www.stv.tv/scotland/1335559-lecturers-protest-over-draconian-cuts-to-scotlands-colleges/">systematically reduced</a> since 2011 and colleges have been told to <a href="http://www.scottishpolicynow.co.uk/article/chill-winds-blow-on-further-education">prioritise</a> their full-time and higher-education courses for young people. The number of colleges <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-34373613">has been reduced</a> from 37 to 20 through a top-down merger programme, intended partly to achieve future efficiency savings of £50m a year from 2016. There have <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-35730342">also been</a> strikes over pay levels in colleges. Overall, the SNP policies for colleges look messy.</p>
<p>Although the government published a forward-looking <a href="http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/AdultLearningStatementofAmbition_tcm4-826940.pdf">Statement of Ambition on adult learning</a>, in practice it has presided over drastic cutbacks and the adult learning sector has suffered particularly badly as a result of the cuts to college budgets. Part-time student numbers in colleges <a href="http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Lifelong-learning/TrendFEStudents">have fallen</a> by half since 2008. Meanwhile, the government’s freeze on council taxes has meant that local authorities have reduced discretionary spending, including their spending on adult-learning services, and reduced grants to voluntary adult-education providers. The impression of neglect wasn’t helped by a minister <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/sneering-adult-learners">who mocked</a> the part-time computing courses that she was closing as “how to click on a mouse”. </p>
<p>So we have a pretty mixed bag – but one that is unlikely to harm the SNP electorally. Whatever its shortcomings in other areas, the party has turned free tuition into a flagship policy, something that is both highly popular and which visibly distinguishes Scotland from England – in nationalist Scotland, that will do nicely.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/58828/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Field has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council and chairs Scotland's Learning Partnership, which represents adult learners across Scotland, but the views expressed here are entirely his own.
</span></em></p>A few notable successes, but could do better.John Field, Professor Emeritus, Lifelong Learning, University of StirlingLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/316462014-09-16T11:35:43Z2014-09-16T11:35:43ZNew poll reveals No camp retain lead among Scotland’s students<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/58922/original/866kyxcg-1410535862.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=75%2C21%2C902%2C662&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Students are veering towards no. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/patrickdown/11409620885/sizes/l">Patrick_Down</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Here at the University of Edinburgh, freshers’ week has just seen a new cohort of students moving into the city. As older students jostled through freebie-stuffed stalls scrabbling for the newcomers’ attention, they might have noticed that amid the free pens and sweets, there were two new stalls in town. One said Yes, and the other No Thanks.</p>
<p>Polling by the youth market research agency <a href="http://www.youthsight.com/media-centre/research/student-vote-update-september-2014/">YouthSight</a> of 300 students in Scotland between September 1 and 4 found them to be far more likely to vote No on September 18, a repeat finding of similar polling in <a href="http://www.youthsight.com/media-centre/research/the-student-vote-2014/">April 2014</a>. While the student No vote in the YouthSight poll closely matches that of the general electorate at 46%, only 36% of students are in favour of independence. </p>
<p>While this is a relatively small sample – typically opinion polls will be closer to 1,000 respondents – quotas have been used to try to ensure the sample can be considered reflective of the UK’s full-time undergraduate population, according to gender, year of study, and university type. </p>
<p>With the wider <a href="http://blog.whatscotlandthinks.org/2014/09/poll-of-polls-5-september-updated/">polls so close</a>, it’s still all to play for. The targeting of university induction week activities shows that both sides see the student vote as a constituency where potential supporters have yet to be mobilised. </p>
<p>Research has shown that students are <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13676261.2013.830704#.VBNnY_ldVS0">more likely</a> than most young people to be politically engaged – despite their age, they have higher social class backgrounds and access to higher education. The YouthSight polling suggests as many as 88% of eligible Scottish student electors intend to vote; roughly in line with the 91% we currently see in the <a href="http://whatscotlandthinks.org/questions/on-a-scale-of-0-to-10-how-likely-is-it-that-you-would-vote-in-an-referendum-on#line">wider electorate</a>. So what chances do the rival teams on each stall have of attracting the student vote?</p>
<h2>No vote support fallen, Yes still behind</h2>
<p>Support for a No vote among students has fallen over the summer from 58% in April 2014, to 46% in September. But interestingly (and in contrast to what has been witnessed recently in national polls), support for Yes has remained relatively steady, with YouthSight’s April poll reporting 37% in favour of independence. This suggests a rise in students who are undecided – now at 18%. Yes remains behind but the gap appears to have narrowed to only 10 percentage points. </p>
<p>Possibly more worrying for the Yes side however is that only 26% of students, fewer than those currently intending to vote Yes, believe the result of the referendum will see Scotland becoming an independent country. A larger proportion – 38% – said that Scotland would remain part of the UK but be given greater autonomy. Another 12% said they expected there to be no change, and 8% foresaw Scotland stripped of some autonomous powers. It would appear that the odds are stacked against the Yes stall in this particular contest. </p>
<p>This may come to some as a surprise. While we have seen the very youngest electors in Scotland, (those aged 16 and 17-years-old) tending to favour a No vote, a far greater number of 18 to 24-year-olds have been found to be in favour of independence and <a href="http://www.natcen.ac.uk/media/176046/2012-who-supports-and-opposes-independence-and-why.pdf">Scottish Social Attitudes</a> has consistently found them to be some of the most likely to support a Yes vote. </p>
<h2>What’s driving union feeling?</h2>
<p>We cannot know for sure what is making students buck this youth trend to favour a No vote, even if this support has fallen. It may simply reflect the fact that there will be students in Scotland who are eligible to vote, but who have come to study from areas in the rest of the UK and EU where we might expect to see more support for the union. These non-Scottish students, if they are EU or qualifying Commonwealth nationals, can vote if they are on the <a href="http://scotreferendum.com/questions/who-can-vote-in-the-referendum/">electoral roll in Scotland</a>. </p>
<p>Students are also more likely than non-student young people to mix with people from across the globe in environments where internationalism is celebrated. Ideas built on concepts of nationalism may be less popular as a consequence, or at least have less resonance. </p>
<p>On a more practical level, there could also be concerns from students about university funding in an independent Scotland. It may be that the attitudes of lecturers are shaping students’ own views. A <a href="http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/majority-of-scottish-academics-set-to-vote-no-in-referendum/2015688.article">recent poll</a> for the Times Higher Education found a majority of academics in Scotland intend to vote No, viewing their decision as being better for universities.</p>
<p>Equally, if they are thinking about careers (in particular, graduate professions), growing perceptions of economic uncertainty may play more of a role in the minds of these young people, steering them towards a No vote.</p>
<h2>Not a lost cause</h2>
<p>Does this mean that for the Yes campaign students are a lost cause? Despite the polling figures, there still appear to be opportunities for politicians and campaigners to engage more students in the vote. Given their youth, many are yet to have developed voting habits, party preferences, and set ideas about how they wish to see a country run. </p>
<p>Students can still be in the process of forming political opinions and identities, and as such may offer greater potential for the campaigns to influence their voting decisions. While <a href="http://yougov.co.uk/news/2014/09/06/latest-scottish-referendum-poll-yes-lead/">YouGov polling</a> at the time of the YouthSight fieldwork had 6% of the wider electorate as still undecided, the new YouthSight poll finds the figure to be far higher for students at 18%, suggesting all is not lost for the Yes side. </p>
<p>Often living away from home for the first time, students may be particularly susceptible to influence in the absence of family to shape their voting decision. Moreover, the high levels of residential mobility for students in September may have impacted on registration, and not all those who have answered the polls will necessarily have the chance to vote. In short: there could be time yet for a shift in opinion.</p>
<p>Students only make up a small proportion of the Scottish electorate – the latest <a href="https://www.hesa.ac.uk/dox/pressOffice/sfr197/280607_student_sfr197_1213_table_1a.xlsx">figures</a> from the Higher Education Statistics Agency show there were about 167,840 UK students in Scotland in 2012-13, with another 18,640 EU students and 28,305 non-EU students. With <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/sep/11/referendum-registered-voters-scotland-four-million-97-per-cent">4.29m Scots registered to vote</a>, the students are unlikely to decide the outcome of the result. </p>
<p>But given their educational experiences, these young people are likely to be Scotland’s future opinion leaders, influencers, and decision-makers. Whatever the outcome of the referendum it will be these individuals who shape Scotland’s politics in years to come – regardless of which stall they find more appealing this week.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/31646/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Charlotte Snelling receives funding for her PhD from the UK Economic and Social Research Council.</span></em></p>Here at the University of Edinburgh, freshers’ week has just seen a new cohort of students moving into the city. As older students jostled through freebie-stuffed stalls scrabbling for the newcomers’ attention…Charlotte Snelling, PhD student, The University of EdinburghLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/316572014-09-15T10:24:33Z2014-09-15T10:24:33ZFor universities’ sake, let it be No to an independent Scotland<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/58913/original/dnhqg9y7-1410531657.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">What does the future hold for Scottish universities?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/leonghongrui/11503032853/sizes/l">alvin.leong</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The impact of Scottish independence on the university sector has been a mere footnote during the referendum campaign. That’s not surprising when there are bigger issues at stake. But as the referendum day draws ever closer <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/09/12/uk-scotland-independence-idUKKBN0H60M620140912">the polls have narrowed</a>. No longer is the consequence of Scottish independence just an interesting dinner party topic. It is now a possibility. So what would independence mean for the higher education sector? </p>
<p>Any attention on universities during the campaign has been on fees. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-29054034">Scottish Nationalist politicians</a> insist that the status quo will remain - Scottish and EU students outside of the rest of the UK have their £1820 fees paid for by the government in Holyrood; English students on the other hand are charged up to £9000. </p>
<p>But Yes campaigners are misguided. This discriminatory approach seems unlikely to continue in an independent Scotland. Student mobility is enshrined in EU law, as is the right not to be discriminated against on the grounds of nationality. There is absolutely no precedent of an EU member state successfully applying for derogation from the provisions on student mobility.</p>
<p>So assuming an independent Scotland becomes a member of the EU, students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland will enjoy the same privileges as their Scottish peers, putting huge pressure on the Scottish higher education budget. Universities in Scotland receive around £150 million from rUK students, but that cost is likely to be much more in an independent Scotland with no tuition fees because Scottish universities would become extraordinarily attractive. </p>
<p>After all, why go to Durham or Newcastle and pay £9000 a year when you could go to St Andrews or Edinburgh and pay nothing? Scottish universities would be swamped with highly qualified applicants from rUK reducing available places for Scottish students.</p>
<p>The Scottish government would then have the choice of Scottish taxpayers subsiding English students or introducing tuition fees. It would surely be the height of irony if independence forced the Scottish government to copy, or come close to copying England’s higher education policy?</p>
<h2>Research at risk</h2>
<p>But fees aren’t the only consideration. Scottish institutions attract a disproportionate share of UK Research Council Funding, yet they will no longer be eligible. While Vice-Chancellors in Scotland are pleading for a retained UK research zone, their plea will go unheeded – would English taxpayers accept paying for research and (ultimately) jobs in a foreign country?</p>
<p>Scotland also benefits from Britain’s place in the world and from having UK universities in the top 10 globally. The reputations of all British universities profit from our place as a leader in education and research, and while Scotland’s universities are excellent they do not comprise the world’s elite. </p>
<p>The issues around higher education are similar in a way to the debate on the economy. As a Scot I have a pride and belief that Scotland could make a good fist of economic prosperity on its own. I too have no doubt that Scotland’s universities would continue to do well. But isn’t Scotland better off within the UK – maintaining the freedoms of devolution and the wider reputation and resources of Britain as a whole? To me it’s a no brainer. Scotland’s universities are better off in the Union.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/31657/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Quintin McKellar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The impact of Scottish independence on the university sector has been a mere footnote during the referendum campaign. That’s not surprising when there are bigger issues at stake. But as the referendum…Quintin McKellar, Vice Chancellor, University of HertfordshireLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/285262014-06-27T11:05:44Z2014-06-27T11:05:44ZWhy you won’t see Gove-style proposals on curbing school extremism in Scotland<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/52368/original/qdqzz4yb-1403798640.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Gove's proposals won't apply in Scotland</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/knox1013/8916324987/in/photolist-ezUuMa-dqQAyn-ezUxqT-ezUDXM-9bxC3K-ezXTBm-ezUto4-ezXLh3-ezUKNe-ezXP1N-ezULHx-ezUHEM-ezXxP3-ezUwNX-ezUC2H-ezUH96-ezUL6F-ezUwoD-ezUpPc-ezUywD-ezUsmx-ezXQYj-ezXy9o-ezUEF2-ezUJdX-ezUy9H-ezUrq6-ezXEzN-ezUqdM-ezXQkQ-ezXMMf-ezXNfs-ezXU1L-ezXQ3E-ezUCLV-bPQF4v-bAVXQo-bPQCjn-bAVYRL-bPQA74-bAVYkQ-bPQzKi-ezXPDf-ezUsXM-ezUtJr-ezUFZM-ezUBoB-ezXE1y-ezXGpY-ezUqMV">Wasi Daniju</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Michael Gove’s recent proposal that English schools must “actively promote British values” caused a predictable <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=gove%20british%20values&src=typd">storm of merriment on Twitter</a>. He made his statement earlier this month ahead of the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/consultation-on-promoting-british-values-in-school">launch of a consultation this week</a> proposing new regulations requiring state schools to comply with the same principles as free schools and academies, and allowing Ofsted to intervene where schools failed to meet these standards. </p>
<p>The government’s definition of British values as “democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs” is pretty uncontroversial. So is the reminder that schools, like the rest of us, must comply with the 2010 Equality Act. </p>
<p>None of this is particularly new. The proposed regulations will require schools to “actively promote” these “fundamental values” and not just respect them, but the authorities’ power to intervene is specifically restricted to a limited range of scenarios. </p>
<p>Also new, I suppose, is the controversy which Gove stoked up by linking the original announcement to the furore over allegations that Muslim extremists were influencing some Birmingham schools. But I’m not convinced this will make a big difference to the relationship between schools and the authorities in practice. And despite the furore the controversy is probably being overstated – it’s not far from what was recommended by the Labour-era <a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmeduski/147/14705.htm">Crick report</a>, for example. </p>
<p>Nonetheless it does raise some interesting and challenging issues for teachers and governors in England’s schools, perhaps particularly around the issue of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-27978327">gender discrimination</a>. It also poses the question of what all this might mean for schools in other parts of the UK. </p>
<h2>What happens north of the border</h2>
<p>This issue is particularly pertinent in Scotland, where national identities and values inevitably play a significantt role in the independence debate. Scottish education has always been distinctive, and has continued to evolve in its own ways since devolution. One important manifestation of this was the decision in 2002 to undertake a major reform of the entire school curriculum, with the appointment of a review group which reported two years later.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2004/11/20178/45862#1">2004 proposals</a> identified four key purposes of education as those that enable young people to become, “successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.” These principal goals, rather than specific skills and knowledge, were to form the core around which schools and colleges should organise learning.</p>
<p>This outline was <a href="http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/thecurriculum/whatiscurriculumforexcellence/thepurposeofthecurriculum/index.asp">subsequently developed</a> by Education Scotland, the agency responsible for quality and curriculum, to encompass sets of attributes and capabilities for each of the four principal goals. </p>
<p>In the case of “responsible citizens”, the attributes are “respect for others” and “commitment to participate responsibly in political, economic, social and cultural life”. The five capabilities include, “develop knowledge and understanding of the world and Scotland’s place in it”; and “understand different beliefs and customs.”</p>
<p>The Scottish government has also promoted greater attention to Scottish issues across education. It has accepted a number of recommendations from its <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2012/03/scottish-studies01032012">working group on Scottish studies</a>, which argues that learning about Scotland should be embedded right across the curriculum from early years to senior phase. It is also promoting teaching of Gaelic and Scots in state schools.</p>
<p>Ideas about education and national values are inevitably surfacing in the independence debate. The Scottish government’s <a href="http://www.scotreferendum.com/reports/scotlands-future-your-guide-to-an-independent-scotland/">white paper on independence</a> describes education as, “also about who we are as a nation”, a claim it makes in relation to the new curriculum. In relation to higher education, it defends free tuition as an expression of “the values that underpin our education system.” More generally, the white paper speaks of the rule of law, democracy and liberty as national values, as well as the “shared values of fairness and opportunity, and promoting prosperity and social cohesion.”</p>
<h2>Different emphasis</h2>
<p>So far, so similar. In practice, Scottish values and British values turn out to mean more or less comparable things for those politicians who try to promote them. We might spot a greater emphasis on egalitarianism in the Scottish texts, and an anxiety about ethnic and religious segregation in the English ones, but the positive values are largely the same; only the adjectives -– British or Scottish –- differ.</p>
<p>What is striking about the Scottish policy texts, though, is their lack of attention to ethnic and religious diversity. This partly reflects the nature of Scottish nationalism today, which usually describes itself as civic rather than ethnic, but also mirrors the relatively small scale of ethnic minority communities in Scottish society. Remember that <a href="http://www.scotsman.com/faith-schools-debate-1-1811428">despite some talk</a> about an Islamic faith school in Glasgow a few years ago, there is <a href="http://www.qalam-academy.org/">still only one</a> in Scotland. Even <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-27974840">the reported appearance</a> of a Scottish Muslim in a jihadist recruitment video this week has so far provoked little comment from Scotland’s political leaders.</p>
<p>So perhaps we should not be surprised that the debate over citizenship and education has taken a slightly different course north of the border. The different tone of the debate in Scotland is such that it is unlikely that the Scottish government will come under pressure to introduce anything equivalent here, regardless of what effect you believe the changes will have in England. But more striking than the differences is the extent to which policy developers in both countries have adopted similar perspectives on the values that should underpin the school curriculum.</p>
<p>Survey data suggest that <a href="http://www.bsa-31.natcen.ac.uk/read-the-report/democracy/introduction.aspx">most Britons see these values</a> as more important to national identity than being born in Britain or having British ancestry. It seems reasonable to conclude that very few people will object to the idea of schools promoting democracy, liberty and the rule of law, as well as tolerance and respect for different religions and views. But politicians should note that the survey findings also show that most Britons believe that our political institutions fail to live up to their expectations. That problem is not one that can be solved by tinkering with the school curriculum. </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/28526/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Field does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Michael Gove’s recent proposal that English schools must “actively promote British values” caused a predictable storm of merriment on Twitter. He made his statement earlier this month ahead of the launch…John Field, Professor Emeritus, Lifelong Learning, University of StirlingLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/264202014-05-12T05:18:39Z2014-05-12T05:18:39ZFor Scotland’s poorer children to catch up with England’s, a fairer economy is needed<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48189/original/xd54qxfp-1399648694.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Children's backgrounds peg them to different achievement levels from a young age</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/clearwood/4461733295/in/photolist-7NgxS8-egNDoA-KRYG-cFV2Yq-7BimHW-dsmWFn-ft5UG9-dx463s-dx4555-9Zij1G-eSZsJ7-arTQXz-6tMdF3-4FxnLv-hxDuk-acjbUk-dupt4m-dupfvb-dupqnL-duiFwH-dupjsd-duiLqK-duiMHR-duiK6a-duprPq-7QuUKW-7aWw8P-aqoxik-myBS5-dbWXHk-dbX8pK-dbWRAj-dbWQAr-dbWQr4-8JqETX-aLxEPx-aLyiP6-aqqSoE-aDP5u3-dsmXYt-aDzhXj-aqGUeW-dCftCV-bbSFcD-8X4esB-7rqt3k-8dKGhD-7vsgTJ-7vsNww-aCost7">Tom Donald</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Scotland likes to think of itself as a nation reflecting the core social values of collectivism and meritocracy. Yet social and economic inequality is deeply entrenched within both the education system and wider society. </p>
<p>One in five Scottish children live in poverty and according to an <a href="http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/closing-attainment-gap-scottish-education">important research review published by</a> the Joseph Rowntree Foundation last week, there is a strong and enduring association between low household income and low educational attainment.</p>
<p>The difficulties faced by Scottish children from low income backgrounds are evident at an early age and intensify during the course of primary and secondary education. The Growing Up in Scotland study shows that by age three, average vocabulary scores for children from low income households were below those of children from high income households. </p>
<p>By age five, the scores correspond to a 13-month gap in vocabulary development. By the end of compulsory schooling, young people from socially advantaged neighbourhoods are much more likely to gain a university place, with social differences in entrance to ancient universities particularly marked. </p>
<p>Despite massive expansion of the system, young people from the most advantaged neighbourhoods in Scotland are five times more likely to gain a place in an ancient university compared with those from the most deprived neighbourhoods. The most selective universities in Scotland draw about 40% of their intake from private schools, which only cater for about 5% of the Scottish school population.</p>
<h2>Lagging behind</h2>
<p>Social inequality in educational attainment at school level in Scotland appears to be around the OECD average. The many countries that have narrower gaps include Norway, Japan, Canada, the Netherlands and Australia. The attainment gap is also slightly lower in England. Some initiatives, such as the <a href="http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/london-challenge">London Challenge</a>, have achieved “stunning” results in narrowing it. There appear to be no equivalent initiatives in Scotland at the moment.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48194/original/xvjf77gd-1399649448.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48194/original/xvjf77gd-1399649448.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48194/original/xvjf77gd-1399649448.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48194/original/xvjf77gd-1399649448.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48194/original/xvjf77gd-1399649448.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=540&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48194/original/xvjf77gd-1399649448.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=540&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48194/original/xvjf77gd-1399649448.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=540&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">What are your chances of getting from here….</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tedandjen/9044685326/in/photolist-eMfnQs-5hPfkw-6W8Hzg-nfv9Pr-9GMfPz-7Mmwqg-dsdV3x-dse6kQ-dse6Cm-2E8uJ-aeqPp6-2E8Qs-4y8tyK-2E8TU-2E8Ss-aetB7Q-akruCQ-aetRTU-aer3sc-aetACW-gVK5k5-dse64o-dsdVdi-dsdX4P-dse5PU-dsdXKc-dse6RU-dsdXqR-dsdVGk-dsdXeB-dse5n1-dsdY4D-bbXzf6-5z3yps-96fSmv-7LZ55t-7M43bE-7MTdTg-fF613N-5jqFyx-7M438f-7CnfnS-7MrqQq-7Lebpy-7MGm5W-7LdfNH-73b8dW-6BCqH7-96fSrV-akrua3">Ted and Jen</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The JRF review concludes that narrowing this gap has not been a social policy priority in Scotland. It notes that the agenda around poverty and educational achievement in Scottish education is, “virtually invisible in the key documents that provide advice for schools and on-the-ground examples of policy and curriculum development.”</p>
<p>The review notes that, “all successful programmes are accompanied by targeted funding,” but Scottish local authorities distribute only 5% of their budget allocation towards social deprivation, with no clear link overall between deprivation and per-pupil expenditure. With year-on-year reductions in their budgets, local authorities are struggling to meet their statutory responsibilities, but there is still a need for them to re-examine their funding priorities.</p>
<p>It is suggested that the new Scottish curriculum, Curriculum for Excellence, might have the potential to improve the educational outcomes of children from poorer backgrounds by allowing teachers to design, “context-specific, whole-school approaches that bridge the gap between learning in school and the experiences that children have outside school.”</p>
<h2>The problem with cutting your coat…</h2>
<p>But clearly there are some potential pitfalls here. If educators proceed on the assumption that children from different social backgrounds need access to different types of knowledge, there is a real danger that children from poorer backgrounds are channelled into vocational courses at an early age. This would itself ensure that access to high-status academic knowledge remains the preserve of those from more affluent backgrounds, particularly those in the private school sector – one of the key problems that the report identifies. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48195/original/v2bnx44f-1399649682.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/48195/original/v2bnx44f-1399649682.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48195/original/v2bnx44f-1399649682.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48195/original/v2bnx44f-1399649682.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48195/original/v2bnx44f-1399649682.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48195/original/v2bnx44f-1399649682.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/48195/original/v2bnx44f-1399649682.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">… to here?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tedandjen/9044685326/in/photolist-eMfnQs-5hPfkw-6W8Hzg-nfv9Pr-9GMfPz-7Mmwqg-dsdV3x-dse6kQ-dse6Cm-2E8uJ-aeqPp6-2E8Qs-4y8tyK-2E8TU-2E8Ss-aetB7Q-akruCQ-aetRTU-aer3sc-aetACW-gVK5k5-dse64o-dsdVdi-dsdX4P-dse5PU-dsdXKc-dse6RU-dsdXqR-dsdVGk-dsdXeB-dse5n1-dsdY4D-bbXzf6-5z3yps-96fSmv-7LZ55t-7M43bE-7MTdTg-fF613N-5jqFyx-7M438f-7CnfnS-7MrqQq-7Lebpy-7MGm5W-7LdfNH-73b8dW-6BCqH7-96fSrV-akrua3">Stephen McLeod Blythe</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This would be a regressive move. It would threaten the principle of universal cultural literacy, which informs the Scottish liberal education tradition. There is sometimes a belief in Scotland that new educational initiatives inevitably produce more socially just outcomes. But as the review acknowledges, there is a need for more robust research to ensure that policy development is informed by careful data analysis.</p>
<p>The review emphasises the role which the Scottish education system could and should play in reducing unfair educational outcomes. But it is also important to recognise that while schools can make a difference, levels of economic inequality in the wider society are far more important in intensifying or reducing the attainment gap. </p>
<p>In the context of the referendum on independence, this raises very important questions on what can be done to address the growing problem of social and economic inequality, which is evident in Scotland as well as other developed countries.</p>
<p>The day after the referendum, irrespective of the outcome, the problem of educational inequality in Scotland will remain. A future Scottish government will clearly have to think much harder about how to inspire local authorities and schools to achieve more socially just outcomes. Fairer resource distribution, as well as rhetoric, will be essential here.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/26420/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sheila Riddell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Scotland likes to think of itself as a nation reflecting the core social values of collectivism and meritocracy. Yet social and economic inequality is deeply entrenched within both the education system…Sheila Riddell, Professor of Inclusion and Diversity, The University of EdinburghLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/251742014-04-14T05:01:40Z2014-04-14T05:01:40ZScotland’s secondary school reforms are struggling, but it’s not too late to fix them<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46237/original/wtfzwcnw-1397224648.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Crunch time for Scotland's National 4 and 5s</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/70109407@N00/2097402250/in/photolist-4ckJBL-2bHs4-7vsfB-KzwvJ-4U1q34-kRRDNA-7mXUrD-Chreb-99mtXR-82BuNu-25whf-dRjiZE-xLUqv-e42ze1-7RGzeE-7nW5WW-7tpNfA-8nxr6e-6TsL8x-kJkuwk-5iqHk5-6iiav-61BmSf-kJjwrg-AHMT7-dwphu8-dxi7Hk-4NzNpK-xLUqy-298Ybt-dYvh8W-9XiG5U-hdBRQ4-6ryQsW-8zVrJk-e9XhtQ-ehEemC-9Ei33C-9yhGAR-4g4xBY-kJkEHn-dqprrn-5WtEkK-2PB9xi-gXNPkV-aAJVmL-KzBTi-5HjpZb-ehEeYd-9SNNvu">Richard Lee</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When desks fill gym halls in Scottish schools for the start of exam time in a couple of weeks, there will be a big difference for the country’s 15 and 16 year olds. </p>
<p>It is out with the GCSE-equivalent Standard Grades and in with their replacements, the National 4s and 5s, for the first time. In case you hadn’t heard, many people in the teaching profession are unhappy about it. </p>
<p>Curricular change typically takes 10 years to take root in Scottish schools. It was true of the famed Primary Memorandum of 1965, the Standard Grade programme of the late 1970s, and the 5-14 development of the early 1990s. </p>
<p>So it should be no surprise that a decade on from the <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2004/11/20178/45862">first Curriculum for Excellence document</a>, we are only now entering the critical phase of implementation – at least as far as secondary schools are concerned. The <a href="http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/education/teachers-voice-concerns-over-national-exams.23099914">many concerns</a> that have been raised within the procession have to be viewed within this ten-year perspective. </p>
<p>There are various reasons why these courses and their associated assessments have been so problematic for teachers and schools. Many of these date back to the very start of the Curriculum for Excellence reforms in 2004, while others have developed since. It is important they are all addressed now so that the situation is not compounded with the revised Highers next year.</p>
<h2>Laudable goals</h2>
<p>The Curriculum for Excellence was a bold attempt to create, for the first time in Scottish educational history, a coherent and comprehensive curriculum for everyone from the age of three to 18. </p>
<p>The piecemeal reforms to secondary education that started in the 1970s wove an ill-fitting patchwork of provision. The 5-14 reforms, which transformed primary education and the early years of secondary, became for many schools an inhibiting, bureaucratic straitjacket. </p>
<p>The roots of the difficulties with the Nationals lie in their very first stage of development by the group tasked with identifying the principles and purposes of the curriculum. A curriculum is the rationale for an educational programme. It has four elements: aims, content, methods, and assessment – but that initial stage was almost entirely devoted only to the aims. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46239/original/2m9s7c88-1397225235.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46239/original/2m9s7c88-1397225235.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46239/original/2m9s7c88-1397225235.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46239/original/2m9s7c88-1397225235.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46239/original/2m9s7c88-1397225235.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46239/original/2m9s7c88-1397225235.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46239/original/2m9s7c88-1397225235.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Sun shining - exams must be coming.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jocelyndurston/15161696/in/photolist-2kH3y-4WUNwk-dKcejt-FRAZS-5qyGxd-bFShyv-4HA4wh-78PvPb-6wvA-bfs5fD-4kxdob">Jocelyn Durston</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
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<p>Recommended methods followed soon after and the suggested content emerged somewhat later. But plans for assessment took an unseasonable age to arrive, particularly those for the upper stages of secondary. </p>
<p>Teaching staff in secondary schools have not had the privilege of ten years to assimilate, consider and refine examination proposals. Generally speaking, the course specifications did not arrive until 2012 and then they were revised last summer, just prior to the start of the courses. </p>
<p>Only as the courses were being undertaken were teachers coming across issues around the amount of course content to be covered, challenges with sequencing activities and the timing of internal assessment. </p>
<p>In addition, there was a lack of sample exam papers to practise with. Anecdotally, I gather that quite a few schools are running classes through the Spring break so that pupils complete necessary activities.</p>
<h2>Beyond the assessment issues</h2>
<p>It’s not just this issue of time that has been problematic. There have been difficulties with putting together National 4 and 5 courses in many subject areas; linking them with the earlier stages of secondary; and, crucially for next year, with how the learning should then progress into Higher courses. </p>
<p>There have been issues with content overload and with the credibility of National 4, where planners have not made a persuasive case for why there is no external assessment. </p>
<p>One must not be sensationalist, though. It is to teachers’ credit that Scotland’s youngsters, especially those in fourth-year secondary today, have got on with their learning without much sign of angst or trepidation. Teachers have been able to keep these courses afloat and their learners on track despite the concerns and the shaking of heads in staffrooms. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46241/original/x358gj9z-1397226295.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/46241/original/x358gj9z-1397226295.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=888&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46241/original/x358gj9z-1397226295.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=888&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46241/original/x358gj9z-1397226295.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=888&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46241/original/x358gj9z-1397226295.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1115&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46241/original/x358gj9z-1397226295.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1115&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/46241/original/x358gj9z-1397226295.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1115&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Revision without vision?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jocelyndurston/15161696/in/photolist-2kH3y-4WUNwk-dKcejt-FRAZS-5qyGxd-bFShyv-4HA4wh-78PvPb-6wvA-bfs5fD-4kxdob">RPM</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>What needs to be done now? The Scottish government <a href="http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/russell-bows-to-demand-for-delay-to-new-higher-exams.22767542">has offered</a> a delay for schools and councils who do not feel ready for the introduction of Highers next year and has offered an extra in-service day for associated planning and training. </p>
<p>Delaying would not be ideal, it must be said. The new National 4 and 5 courses are intended to dovetail with the revised Higher syllabus, not to be bolted on to the old one. Much better would be to aim to get this new system right. Teachers need time but also clear direction. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/education/teachers-fear-study-leave-cuts-will-add-to-pressures.23693354">Council plans</a> to cut exam study leave this year threaten to shut a vital window when development for the new Highers and revisions of the Nationals could take place.</p>
<p>Councils would do better to keep the time freed by study leave to work with staff to prepare for the coming year. In addition, a bold government decision to have more in-service days this June, not in the new session, would do much to defuse the situation.</p>
<p>On an optimistic note, realpolitik suggests that the 2014 National 4 and 5 results will be good. Parents and pupils should be reassured. Neither the government nor the Scottish Qualifications Authority can afford anything less – and they are unlikely to let it happen. </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/25174/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Donald Gillies does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>When desks fill gym halls in Scottish schools for the start of exam time in a couple of weeks, there will be a big difference for the country’s 15 and 16 year olds. It is out with the GCSE-equivalent Standard…Donald Gillies, Head of School of Education, Professor, University of the West of ScotlandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.