The Scottish Conservatives have today announced plans to restore Scotland’s education system to its previous world-leading position after years of decline under the SNP.
Education spokesperson Miles Briggs said that the Scottish Conservatives would reintroduce academic rigour to classrooms through a tailored package of policies, including:
- Bringing back the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy
- Protecting traditional exam-based learning as the fairest assessment model
- Introducing a new workforce plan to return Scottish education to its former standing
- Increasing the number of school inspections
- Working with teachers looking for full-time employment to fill vacancies in rural schools
- Delivering additional support for learning by funding 1,000 extra classroom assistants
- Ensuring our schools are ready to return to international league tables from which the SNP withdrew
- Ensuring school buildings are fit for purpose
Under the SNP, Briggs said, school standards had been “fatally undermined” and fallen to the point where ministers withdrew from international comparison tables.
On key measures such as literacy and numeracy, Scotland now lags behind other parts of the UK.
As education secretary, John Swinney faced two separate votes of no confidence, while the attainment gap between the best- and worst-off pupils, on which Nicola Sturgeon said she wanted to be judged, remains stubbornly wide.
Scottish Conservative education spokesman Miles Briggs said: “Scotland’s education system used to be world-leading but that reputation has been fatally undermined by decades of SNP mismanagement.
“Our proposals would restore the standing of our schools by focusing on key skills like literacy and numeracy, tested by exams and measured by increased inspections.
“We would make sure that schools are prepared for the international comparison studies that the SNP had withdrawn from, and deliver additional support by funding 1,000 extra classroom assistants.
“There are thousands of teachers looking for full-time, permanent work in Scotland, but rural areas often find it difficult to attract the teachers they need, so we’d work to match schools with those looking for posts. We would also introduce a workforce plan to address shortages in particular subjects.
“From their failure to close the attainment gap for the most disadvantaged pupils, to plummeting standards and a rising tide of classroom violence, the SNP have trashed our schools.
“These common-sense plans would help undo the damage the Nationalists have done. That’s why it’s vital that voters back the Scottish Conservatives on the peach ballot to stop an SNP majority.”
Notes to editors
Relevant manifesto extracts:
Bring back the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy so that we can accurately gather data on our pupils’ reading levels and maths skills. The SNP closed down the Scottish Survey and Literacy and Numeracy after 2016. Although a similar alternative has been established since, this scores pupils based on how well they are performing against the Scottish Government-designed curriculum, rather than an objective assessment of literacy and numeracy levels. Therefore, we would restore the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy with a clear emphasis on establishing population-wide reading levels and maths skills amongst our pupils.
Protect traditional exam-based learning as the fairest and most objective way to assess a pupil’s academic progress at school. We reject the assertions that alternative forms of assessment are better for our children’s learning. The Scottish Conservatives will champion exams as the fairest mode of assessment and oppose any moves towards increasing the use of coursework in our schools.
Introduce a new national workforce plan to restore Scottish education to its formerly world-leading state. Scotland’s schools were once among the best in the world, but they have plummeted down international school rankings on the SNP’s watch. Part of the reason for this is due to the nationalists’ complete failure to ensure the teaching profession is properly supported with a workforce plan. We would introduce a plan that would ensure any shortages in specific subjects can be addressed at an earlier stage, while also exploring ways to employ teachers who may be struggling for employment due to their specialist subject being less in demand.
Increase the number of school inspections so that high standards are upheld. The SNP have let school standards plummet on their watch. An improved curriculum and methods of teaching the basics will help to reverse this trend, but ensuring these standards are enforced through regular inspections will also assist in achieving this aim. The Scottish Conservatives will therefore work to increase the number of inspections being carried out by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in Scotland.
Work with teachers looking for full-time employment to fill vacancies in rural schools. It is estimated that there are thousands of teachers currently looking for full-time, permanent work in Scotland while at the same time, schools in our rural communities are struggling to find teachers they need for their schools. The Scottish Conservatives would establish a working group with teachers looking for full-time work and schools in our rural communities so that solutions can be found that would allow these teachers to find potential employment solutions in these areas.
Deliver additional support for learning in our schools by funding the employment of 1,000 extra classroom assistants across Scotland. Too many of our teachers are struggling with support in the classroom to teach because of disruptions taking place in class. By employing 1,000 extra classroom assistants across Scotland, we believe teachers would be able to rely on this support to give them the capacity to focus on teaching within the classroom.
Ensure Scotland’s schools are ready for re-entry into the international studies that the SNP withdrew from. Back in 2010, the SNP withdrew Scotland’s schools from the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Progress in International Reading Study (PIRLS). Although this decision has since been reversed, Scotland has not yet participated in the next round of these international studies. We would ensure Scotland’s schools are ready for this event, including providing any additional resources they require to participate in the studies.
Ensure that our children are learning in suitable school buildings that are fit for purpose. Too many of our schools are run down and in poor condition. The Scottish Conservatives would work with local authorities to identify schools most in need of investment so that they have the funds available to make the necessary repairs and upgrades.