Leading academic calls for subject consistency in schools

A leading academic has called for the number of subjects pupils can choose to be made consistent across Scotland.

Changes made when Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) was instituted in 2014 created timetabling issues for examinations, due to the new National four and five qualifications being studied only in S4 as opposed to S3 and S4 - in the same way as their predecessor.

These changes have meant that some schools have limited the number of qualifications which can be taken in S4 to just six, as opposed to eight in the previous system.

However, according to research done by Reform Scotland, some state and independent schools have ignored the limit, allowing their pupils to take eight subjects - creating what a new report by the think tank claims is a “postcode lottery''.

Keir Bloomer, the chairman of Reform Scotland's Commission on School Reform, said: “Curriculum for Excellence was supposed to broaden education and opportunity, but it is becoming increasingly clear that its implementation is narrowing it.

“We are seeing a postcode lottery where pupils who are capable of successfully sitting eight exams are being prevented from so doing.

“This is narrowing their education and limiting their prospects as they move towards Highers and then to college or university.

“The Scottish Government must put an urgent stop to this by making it clear to all schools that pupils may sit eight exams, and that BGE can once again cease after S2.

“They can do this temporarily until they get a grip on what is going on here, but do it they must, for we are in grave danger of minimising the potential of a generation of our young people.''

Curriculum for Excellence has come under repeated scrutiny since it was instituted, with Professor Jim Scott of Dundee University saying last month that the system was having a “negative effect'' on pupils.

Prof Scott's paper insisted that, had the Scottish Government known when the idea was mooted in 2006 about the issues it would cause, CfE would never have moved forward.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "It is for local authorities to decide how instrumental music tuition for children and young people is provided in their areas, and councils should consider the benefits that learning a musical instrument can have on wellbeing and on attainment.

"While respecting the autonomy of local councils, we would be concerned by any decision that reduced access to instrumental music tuition."