Committee
Education, Children and Young People Committee 11 March 2026 [Draft]
11 Mar 2026 · S6 · Education, Children and Young People Committee
Item of business
School Reform (Curriculum and Assessment)
Andy Harvey
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I agree with that, and I will explain a wee bit about why this is so important. Both our primary and our secondary teachers are very busy, but they have their own patches of interest. The secondary school is driven largely by the senior phase, the examinations in that area, and subjects. Our primary teachers are specialists in generalism right across the way. All of the work that comes towards them has to be manageable, working across all eight curricular areas and the cross-curricular themes, and, because of that, teachers will come at things in a different way. That is why the outputs are so dependent on the inputs.I will give the committee a wee example in relation to political literacy, which I am sure that colleagues here will be interested in. If you take a bunch of teachers and get them to talk about political literacy, it is almost inevitable that it will lead to discussion of the modern studies curriculum, electoral politics and civil rights. Our early years teachers also do political literacy, but for them it might be about sharing, using your voice, and your sense of self and of those around you, which are much more fundamental. There needs to be parity and understanding, so that we can get the cohesion absolutely right.Another issue that has been raised by the OECD report and various other reports is the tendency of the senior phase to drive the rest of the curriculum, although we are looking for real integration and cohesion.That is why it is important to hear everyone’s voices.
In the same item of business
09:01
The Convener
Con
Our second item of business is an evidence session on school reform—specifically on the curriculum and assessment. Our first panel will be focused on the cur...
David Macluskey (Association of Directors of Education in Scotland)
It is merely a welcoming smile.We have made significant progress on the curriculum improvement cycle, particularly in the past 18 months or so. We have a cle...
Andy Harvey (Educational Institute of Scotland)
The EIS is pleased with the progress that has been made on the curriculum improvement cycle. It is not only a recognition of the esteem in which the values, ...
Dr Keir Bloomer (Commission on School Reform)
I welcome the fact that there is an improvement cycle, but I regret that there is, as yet, insufficient recognition of the shortcomings of the curriculum as ...
Ollie Bray (Education Scotland)
I think that there has been good progress in the past five years. Things could perhaps have been quicker, but we have taken time to ensure that we have all t...
The Convener
Con
I can be quite pedantic, so I will pick you up on the fact that you said you are “roughly on track” for June. We are coming to the end of scrutiny in this se...
Ollie Bray
It is the way that I phrased it. We feel that we are on track for June. I can say for the committee’s benefit, and because there may be a question on it late...
The Convener
Con
Mr Bray, you talked about whether things could have gone quicker and you left that as an open-ended question. Mr Macluskey, you began by saying that progress...
Ollie Bray
When I talk about things going quicker, it is important to note that anything we do to reform education in Scotland has to fit into the rhythm of the school ...
The Convener
Con
Those are not unknown dates for you. They are not unknown obstacles that you have to navigate around.
Ollie Bray
They are not unknown obstacles, but my point is that there is sometimes a perception that the work can happen all the time, although that is actually very di...
David Macluskey
I will buildonwhat Ollie Bray said.The work involved a significant amount of sense making and thought at the beginning, to ensure that we are sitting on fit ...
The Convener
Con
Mr Macluskey, I put Mr Harvey’s point to you, as a director in Perth and Kinross and as a representative of ADES. Do you recognise that teachers, particularl...
David Macluskey
It is challenging. The way that education is delivered in the primary and secondary sectors means that the class cover that is required to allow practitioner...
Andy Harvey
I agree with that, and I will explain a wee bit about why this is so important. Both our primary and our secondary teachers are very busy, but they have thei...
The Convener
Con
I have a final question for Dr Bloomer. You chaired the commission on school reform. Is this where you expected Scottish education to be in March 2026, or ar...
Dr Bloomer
It most certainly is not where I hoped and expected Scottish education would be. What has been absent in the discussion so far is any recognition of the utte...
The Convener
Con
Do you continue to make those representations to Government? What reason would Government ministers have for not wanting to be part of those comparisons—othe...
Dr Bloomer
At the time when the Government took us out of TIMSS and PIRLS and withdrew the survey of literacy and numeracy, it was rather hard to avoid the conclusion t...
The Convener
Con
Mr Bray, from Education Scotland’s point of view, if the cabinet secretary is making those positive comments about knowledge and so on, why is that not being...
Ollie Bray
No—I think that that is exactly what we are doing, Mr Ross.
The Convener
Con
So, why does Dr Bloomer think that you are not doing that?
Ollie Bray
I am not sure. Dr Bloomer is perhaps not sighted on the work that we have done. I read Dr Bloomer’s report for the commission on school reform. There are som...
Dr Bloomer
Yes—any time.
The Convener
Con
That is why you are here today.
Ollie Bray
This is not about getting into a debate with Dr Bloomer today. We have known each other for many years.Could I give a bit of background, if that would be use...
Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con)
Con
Good morning. Thank you for joining us. I have a quite open question to start with. Is there a clear understanding of what school education is seeking to ach...
Andy Harvey
I will speak from the perspective of the teaching profession, which largely embraces the values, principles and purposes of curriculum for excellence. This i...
Dr Bloomer
Responsible citizens.