THE INTRODUCTION of a new school curriculum drew a step closer yesterday.
Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop said the Curriculum for Excellence would prepare youngsters for “life in the 21st century” as she launched new guidance for teachers.
The curriculum is aimed at creating an “enterprising and creative” generation of youngsters in the way they solve problems in the class.
“Scotland already performs well on the world education stage but we must do better,” Ms Hyslop added at the launch in Stirling.
She said: “Education will be provided suited to the needs of individual pupils in a modern world, with teachers provided with the freedom to develop quality teaching and learning approaches within their own schools.”
Last month, Ms Hyslop announced an additional 100 teachers to oversee implementation of this new approach to learning and teaching at a cost of £4million.
The new curriculum will also mark the end of standard grades. An announcement is expected in June on the replacement qualifications.
Compulsory qualifications for numeracy and literacy will also be introduced, although highers will remain the “gold standard” in the education system.
The Curriculum for Excellence aims to achieve “continuous learning” for youngsters from the ages of three to 18, with an emphasis on “cross-curricular” teaching.
All teachers will have a responsibility for the teaching of literacy and numeracy.
EIS general secretary Ronnie Smith said: It is vitally important that schools and teachers are given adequate support to allow them to deliver on such an ambitious programme of curricular change.”
Irene Matier, president of the Association of Headteachers and Deputes Scotland, backed the launch.
“It has been a long process but one which has delivered a product of which we can all be proud,” she said.
Ken Cunningham, general secretary of School Leaders Scotland, formerly the Headteachers’ Association of Scotland, said it was an “important step” in the development of the Curriculum for Excellence.
Labour education spokes-woman Rhona Brankin said it remained unclear how the new curriculum would improve “fundamental issues” of poor performance in literacy and numeracy.
Tory education spokes-woman Liz Smith praised the new curriculum as “creative and imaginative”.
But she said parents and teachers would want reassurance that it would enable youngsters to “read, write and count up properly” and also be better prepared for the subjects that were offered latterly in secondary school.
Liberal Democrat education spokesman Margaret Smith called on the SNP to deliver on its “many promises” to young people.
“Education and skills spending has fallen under the SNP as a proportion of the Budget,” she said.