In recent weeks in the Scottish Parliament questions have been asked of Mike Russell Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning as to the whether he believes Scotland is ready for the introduction of the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) in August. Doubts have been raised by Scotland’s teaching unions, especially over the introduction of a replacement for Standard Grade examinations which has not yet been settled. Mike Russell has stated that he will listen to teachers and the CfE’s management board, which is overseeing its implementation, if they tell him another delay is needed. He has promised a decision before the summer but warned he will not implement a 'delay for delay’s sake' because teachers are finding the changes difficult. The CfE, is designed to change the way pupils are taught. It encourages subjects to be combined to deliver classes, rather than being taught in isolation.But is Dundee ready for the most significant change in Scottish Education in a generation? It seems careless to begin its introduction in our Secondary schools in August when the examinations for which pupils will be preparing, and to which teachers will be teaching, is still not in place. Alarmingly for parents and carers whose children enter our High Schools and Academies in August, their children will be the guinea pigs sitting these new examinations instead of Standard Grades. My oldest son was in the year group that took Standard grades in the year they were introduced and I know how much uncertainty and challenge that brought; but this is a more significant set of changes.
In my conversations with teachers, it is usually conceded the it will be easier for Primary and Nursery Schools to put CfE into practice and in fact it is already being tried out with sections of the new curriculum being introduced this year. However it will be more challenging for our Secondary Schools. Secondary teachers are mostly subject specialists used to teaching rigid timetabled classes. It will be a real challenge for them to make the change towards delivering more thematic and cross curricular teaching and learning in S1 to S3.
Is the Education Convener, Elizabeth Fordyce, convinced that everything is in place in Dundee schools for implementation of the CfE in August? Is she sure that this can be achieved without disadvantaging our children about to enter secondary school? Will she join those voices calling on Mike Russell to stop dithering and announce a delay to the introduction of CfE until August 2011?
