Education Bill may not deliver real change in attainment, MSPs report
The Scottish Government's bill aimed at tackling the longstanding educational attainment gap may not be radical enough, according to a report by the Holyrood committee scrutinising the bill.
In its stage 1 report on the Education (Scotland) Bill, the Education & Culture Committee supports the general principles of the bill but suggests that it needs to go further.
The committee states that for the bill to make a difference, good and bad practice must be reported. Reporting on progress should also state the positive outcomes which are being delivered across the country for all pupils.
Committee convener Stewart Maxwell MSP said: "That the attainment gap in Scotland persists in Scotland is a source of concern for us all. Over the past 50 years there has been a great deal of work focused on narrowing this gap and improving the opportunities for some of the most deprived children in our society. While the committee supports the general principles of the bill, we believe a more radical approach may be required and this bill needs to be part of that."
He continued: "There has to be a clear understanding of exactly what would be required to deliver improvement. We also believe the Scottish Government and local authorities should consult widely, to ensure their reports on tackling the attainment gap are as useful as possible. It is in no one’s interests for reports simply to list actions taken. What is needed is an understanding of what works so that positive outcomes can be repeated throughout the country.”
While the Scottish Government has a £100m Attainment Scotland Fund, the MSPs call for a fully costed plan, detailing all the resources needed to eliminate the link between disadvantage and educational attainment.
The Bill also extends rights to children to seek additional support needs, while introducing new eligibility tests for all applicants. On this subject the committee expresses concerns about the complexity of the provisions and how they will be understood. It also notes some critical comments from those involved in the field, which are disputed by the Scottish Government but on which the committee seeks some resolution ahead of the stage 1 debate.
On Gaelic medium primary education, the report agrees that a defined process for monitoring parental demand must be put in place as part of the local authorities' process for assessing need.