Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 29 September 2011
29 Sep 2011 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Scottish Studies
I hope that I am qualified to participate in the debate, even though I do not have a doctorate. I thank the Scottish Government for at least giving us a little more in the way of detail this afternoon.
When the Scottish Government launched the initiative, those of us who are education spokesmen were contacted by journalists and asked what we made of it. I said that I had to confess that I was a little confused about what the proposal was. I went back and looked at the Scottish National Party manifesto and I still remain a little confused, even though the Scottish Government has given us a few more details this afternoon, because I am not entirely convinced of the logic.
The manifesto states that the SNP wants to
“develop the concept of Scottish Studies”,
which would create,
“a distinct strand of learning focused on Scotland and incorporating Scottish History, Scottish Literature, the Scots and Gaelic Languages, wider Scottish culture and Scottish current affairs.”
The SNP manifesto goes on to say that
“All pupils will have access to this strand at Primary and Secondary levels.”
I am confused for two reasons. First, I thought that it was plain to most observers that Scottish studies, in their widest sense, were already embedded in the Scottish curriculum and that they will be enhanced in all schools by the curriculum for excellence. I thought that maybe I had got this wrong, so I went off and did quite a lot of research to check whether I had made a mistake.
I found a Times Educational Supplement Scotland article from 2008 about developments for the curriculum for excellence, in which there was a very full run down from teachers in schools all across Scotland—in English, mathematics, home economics, history, biology, physics, chemistry and French—who had all explained, in considerable detail, exactly how Scottish themes were present in their subjects. I also found a sizeable Learning and Teaching Scotland document—all 317 pages of it—in which there is a very precise and detailed description of exactly how Scottish studies are embedded in the curriculum. It lists at length how Scottish themes are a core part of pupils’ learning. I will quote some of them.
On classical languages, the document states:
“By studying a classical language, young people will become ever more aware of how vital parts of Scotland’s culture, the arts, law, political systems and social values are both directly and indirectly linked with the classical world.”
On religious education, it states:
“The experiences and outcomes draw on the rich and diverse context of Scotland’s cultural heritage through the use of Scottish stories, images, music and poems.”
On modern languages, it states:
“children and young people can gain access to the literary heritage of humanity and develop their appreciation of the richness and breadth of Scotland’s literary heritage.”
That left me with an important question: what else does the SNP think it is necessary to teach children about Scotland? Why has what started out as a concept been transmuted into a strand and then into a subject? What on earth is it that the current curriculum does not have that would make a new case for Scottish studies?
When the Scottish Government launched the initiative, those of us who are education spokesmen were contacted by journalists and asked what we made of it. I said that I had to confess that I was a little confused about what the proposal was. I went back and looked at the Scottish National Party manifesto and I still remain a little confused, even though the Scottish Government has given us a few more details this afternoon, because I am not entirely convinced of the logic.
The manifesto states that the SNP wants to
“develop the concept of Scottish Studies”,
which would create,
“a distinct strand of learning focused on Scotland and incorporating Scottish History, Scottish Literature, the Scots and Gaelic Languages, wider Scottish culture and Scottish current affairs.”
The SNP manifesto goes on to say that
“All pupils will have access to this strand at Primary and Secondary levels.”
I am confused for two reasons. First, I thought that it was plain to most observers that Scottish studies, in their widest sense, were already embedded in the Scottish curriculum and that they will be enhanced in all schools by the curriculum for excellence. I thought that maybe I had got this wrong, so I went off and did quite a lot of research to check whether I had made a mistake.
I found a Times Educational Supplement Scotland article from 2008 about developments for the curriculum for excellence, in which there was a very full run down from teachers in schools all across Scotland—in English, mathematics, home economics, history, biology, physics, chemistry and French—who had all explained, in considerable detail, exactly how Scottish themes were present in their subjects. I also found a sizeable Learning and Teaching Scotland document—all 317 pages of it—in which there is a very precise and detailed description of exactly how Scottish studies are embedded in the curriculum. It lists at length how Scottish themes are a core part of pupils’ learning. I will quote some of them.
On classical languages, the document states:
“By studying a classical language, young people will become ever more aware of how vital parts of Scotland’s culture, the arts, law, political systems and social values are both directly and indirectly linked with the classical world.”
On religious education, it states:
“The experiences and outcomes draw on the rich and diverse context of Scotland’s cultural heritage through the use of Scottish stories, images, music and poems.”
On modern languages, it states:
“children and young people can gain access to the literary heritage of humanity and develop their appreciation of the richness and breadth of Scotland’s literary heritage.”
That left me with an important question: what else does the SNP think it is necessary to teach children about Scotland? Why has what started out as a concept been transmuted into a strand and then into a subject? What on earth is it that the current curriculum does not have that would make a new case for Scottish studies?
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-00959, in the name of Alasdair Allan, on Scottish studies.14:54
The Minister for Learning and Skills (Dr Alasdair Allan)
SNP
In opening the debate for the Government I will admit a rare thing in politics, which is that I care fairly deeply about whether the Parliament intends to ac...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
We have some time in hand for the debate. I call Claire Baker to speak to and move amendment S4M-00959.2. Ms Baker, you have a generous nine minutes, and I c...
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
Thank you, Presiding Officer.I welcome the opportunity to open this afternoon’s debate for Labour. There has been much commentary on proposals for Scottish s...
Claire Baker
Lab
Thank you. It is in English literature, more specifically Sylvia Plath. Although the field is known as English literature, I came to it through the study of ...
Dr Allan
SNP
I thank the member for giving way and I welcome the tone of everything that she has said, at least up until that point. She clearly welcomes the idea of lite...
Claire Baker
Lab
That is an important point, which the working group needs to look at. As I will go on to explain, many of us have experience—personal experience or experienc...
Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I hope that I am qualified to participate in the debate, even though I do not have a doctorate. I thank the Scottish Government for at least giving us a litt...
Dr Allan
SNP
Does the member agree that one thing that would make a difference—it is certainly a theme that is beginning to emerge from the working group—is for teachers ...
Liz Smith
Con
Of course I welcome any measures that give teachers more confidence. What I am asking is: why is it that the proposed Scottish studies course gives something...
Rob Gibson (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP)
SNP
Children in Scotland have a right to be taught about their country. Far too many young people leave school with little knowledge of Scotland’s history, geogr...
Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
Like Mr Gibson, I was a modern studies teacher, but I also taught in primary schools until the election. In those schools, I saw a vast range of subjects and...
Rob Gibson
SNP
In the past, nobody questioned the higher history module on the history of the Labour Party. That was not seen as brainwashing or an extra addition to the cu...
Neil Findlay
Lab
Can the member give us an example?
Rob Gibson
SNP
I can give him plenty of examples from where I have taught. The circumstances are such that we have to consider the attitudes behind this matter.
Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
Will the member give way?
Rob Gibson
SNP
Not at the moment. During the debates in 2010 about the questions in the census, there was a concern that a question about the Scots language, introduced for...
Liz Smith
Con
I totally accept some of the points that the member is making but would he agree that it is the point of the curriculum for excellence to concentrate on many...
Rob Gibson
SNP
I think that that will be strengthened by the proposals that we are discussing. The question of esteem is also important in relation to the issue of traditio...
Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. Both my parents are teachers—my dad is an English teacher and my mum is a modern languages teacher—so ...
Dr Allan
SNP
I thank Kezia Dugdale for making that point. I merely emphasise what I said before about the recognition of a Scottish studies qualification. One of the opti...
Kezia Dugdale
Lab
The minister’s intervention is helpful, particularly as he said in his opening remarks that greater structure is necessary to provide Scottish studies, where...
Kezia Dugdale
Lab
I am just coming on to a point that Rob Gibson made about higher history. He said that there was nothing in higher history about Scotland’s history, but I ha...
Rob Gibson
SNP
As Kezia Dugdale knows, it is up to the teachers to choose which of those sections they will teach. How many people learn about the wars of independence in c...
Kezia Dugdale
Lab
I am afraid that Rob Gibson is incorrect. I am reading from the SQA guidelines on higher history, which state:“Candidates must respond to one context within ...
Marco Biagi (Edinburgh Central) (SNP)
SNP
Perhaps Jack McConnell’s most useful contribution to Scottish political debate was his introduction of the term “Scottish cringe” into widespread use. Today,...
Neil Findlay
Lab
Will Marco Biagi give way?
Marco Biagi
SNP
In previous education debates, I have taken two interventions from Mr Findlay, neither of which was constructive or useful. However, perhaps it will be third...
Neil Findlay
Lab
Is Marco Biagi seriously saying that that was the most positive contribution of Jack McConnell’s time as First Minister? I hope that Marco Biagi recalls the ...
Marco Biagi
SNP
From third time lucky to three strikes and you are out. I will continue—that intervention does not even deserve an answer.Until Mr Findlay intervened, a cons...