Commenting on the formation by the Scottish Government of an International Council of Education Advisors to advise ministers on improvements to the education system, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the fastest growing teachers’ union in Scotland, said:
“The fact that the First Minister has made education one of her top priorities for the new government is welcome.
“The international evidence about Scotland’s education system has shown is that it has many strengths that should form the foundation of future education policy.
“One of the positive features of Scotland’s education system is that it has to date avoided the fragmentation of the education system seen elsewhere in the UK through academies and free schools. What international evidence makes clear is that education systems only secure and sustain high performance through coherent national strategies and it will be vital that flawed policies from elsewhere are avoided.
“International evidence should inform, not drive policy and it must be the views, concerns and experiences of classroom teachers and school leaders in Scotland which drive future developments in the education system.
“There must also be recognition from Ministers that teachers’ pay and conditions, which have been under attack since 2010, are central to achieving high quality education provision.
“Addressing these issues and listening to and learning from those at the frontline in our schools must be the priority in continuing to ensure that every child receives a world-class education.”
Jane Peckham, NASUWT National Official Scotland, said:
“International evidence has underlined that Scotland has an outstanding school workforce and this understanding must be the starting point of any policy reforms to education.
“The new government must avoid simply adopting policy from other nations and take this opportunity to open up a conversation with the school workforce about what works for Scotland’s children and young people.
“Placing trust in and providing support for the school workforce is the best way to help raise standards for children and young people.”
