Meeting of the Parliament 15 May 2019
Yes, I absolutely will, cabinet secretary. That is the same question that you asked in the previous debate, which I answered. I fundamentally believe in a core curriculum that includes what we traditionally see as the core subjects, and we should build the flexibility that CFE is designed to have around those core subjects. I think that many schools have come to agree on that approach. That is the whole debate about the column structure. There is no reason why we cannot have that core curriculum and the flexibility that is required for the new subjects and skills that have been developed. I do not see that those things are incompatible and I think that many schools do not see that either.
Scotland is renowned for the breadth of its curriculum. In the past, youngsters had to study English, maths and one subject in each of the disciplines of science, social science and modern languages. At the moment, we seem to be squeezing some of the ability to choose subjects.
That is the concern. As Tavish Scott rightly said at the Education and Skills Committee this morning, we have not had an answer about how that squeeze benefits young people, because the experience is completely different in different local authorities. I will conclude on that point: the central problem with the curriculum for excellence is the disconnect between broad general education and the senior phase.
16:15