Education Scotland launched
Education Scotland, the Scottish Government’s national development and improvement agency for education, was launched today.
Led by transitional Chief Executive Dr Bill Maxwell, the agency brings together the functions of Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS), HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE), the National CPD Team and the Scottish Government’s Positive Behaviour Team.
Education Scotland will support development and improvement in Scottish education by:
- leading and supporting the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence
- promoting high quality professional teaching and leadership
- identifying and stimulating innovation and sharing successful approaches
- providing independent scrutiny of education provision.
Education Secretary Michael Russell said:
Education Scotland will have an important role to play in achieving our aspirations for Scottish education. I believe our education system is already delivering well for our learners and that Curriculum for Excellence is making a difference across the country.
“However, it is also clear more can be done to deliver a stronger focus on performance, raise attainment and ambition for all our children and young people and continue to roll out Curriculum for Excellence. I look forward to working with Bill and his team to further improve Scottish education and the life chances of each and every learner in Scotland.”
Dr Bill Maxwell said:
“Given the stage we have reached in the evolution of Scottish education and the challenges we must address, I am convinced that the time is right to capitalise on this new and exciting opportunity. By bringing together activities which were previously planned separately I am sure we can create a more coherent and integrated approach to delivering the functions of the predecessor organisations which will bring benefits for all Scottish learners.”
The remit of Education Scotland can be found at: www.educationscotland.gov.uk
9 comments
Good luck to Dr Maxwell and all his colleagues at Education Scotland. New ventures like this are inevitably fraught with difficulty, but the rewards of a new, open and collaborative national agency, built on the historic roots of HMIe, founded in 1840, and the other newer components of curriculum, professional development and leadership support, could be enormous. The Donaldson Review should make us all, in HE, FE, schools, local authorities and partner organisations, want to work together towards a new model of Scottish education. The times are hard, but our shared conviction that nurturing the young is at the heart of all our efforts, must strengthen our determination to find new ways forward. Judith McClure
Best wishes to you all, I just pray that education and not finance is the main motive of all involved.
Judith, the Donaldson Review will undoubtedly be a major influence for the future development of Scottish Education – there is a piece missing from the jigsaw however. A similar review for Early Years Workers is essential to ensure ALL professionals are enabled and supported in working towards a new model of Scottish Education.
One can only hope it’s an improvement but like so many ‘developments’ instigated in recent years the outlook is not good.
Straight away your heart sinks when the Cabinet Secretary says “I look forward to working with Bill and his team to further improve Scottish education and the life chances of each and every learner in Scotland.” It’s not unlike the ‘Black Spot’ in ‘Treasure Island’!
April, you are right, of course. I am sorry that I omitted this crucial area of education: I should have said ‘HE, FE, schools and early years centres, local authorities and partner organisations’. Early years provision is undoubtedly a key part of the new model of Scottish Education and the implementation of the Donaldson Review must include early years teachers and support staff just as well as teachers and lecturers in schools, HE and FE.
Hi Judith
unfortunately the remit of the Donaldson review does not include Early years staff who are not teachers and they represent by far the majority of the staff who actually implement CFE in the early years/nursery sector. That is why I am calling for the governement to carry out a similar review for this key group of staff as soon as possible. Do you agree that this is necessary?
I see what you mean, April. Clearly Donaldson had as his focus the professional education and development of teachers. Obviously support staff are key workers in primary and secondary education as well as early years, but I take your point about the preponderance of staff in early years who implement CfE but are not teachers. I wonder whether the new Partnership Group, with its subgroups, can rectify this by the inclusion of appropriate members? I see that you would like a separate review. There is certainly an important area for immediate consideration here.
Thanks for your reply Judith, I am glad that you are able to see my point. I feel that there is a real danger that Early Years Staff will miss out on the potential support that both the Donaldson and the MMcCormac reviews will give to teachers. Early Years workers can no longer be considered support staff when they are the majority group delivering CFE in the pre five sector. They deserve the same scrutiny and support as teacher colleagues otherwise all the talk about the impotrance of early years and early intervention will be simply hot air.
I am interested to know more about the Partnership group you mention – can you direct me to where I might find out more about this group?
You can find out more about the National Partnership on this site, April, in the post by Glenn Rodger, Vice President of ADES, on 8 June 2011: ‘Teaching Scotland’s Future – Building Professional Learning’. He is chairing the group. The membership and first discussions of the National Partnership Group can be found at http://scotland.gov.uk/About/NationalPartnershipGroup/