THERE are 12 changes the Government needs to make for Scotland’s education system to be among the “best in the world”, according to a new report.

The first review of Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence, undertaken by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), was largely positive, saying that achievement in science and reading was above the international average.

Scottish students, the report said, are resilient, and Scottish schools are inclusive, with the gender gap “not as wide as in many systems”.

There was also praise for a drop in school-age teenage smoking and alcohol consumption. However, there were stark warnings that the gap between the achievements of well-off pupils and poorer pupils was getting wider.

There were also concerns about standards in maths falling from high to average over the past 10 years and worries about a large number of low performers in secondary schools.

The OECD also pointed out that one-fifth of all Scotland schools are rated only “satisfactory” and one in 10 is “weak or unsatisfactory”.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Government broadly accepted the OECD’s recommendations. One of those recommendations was to “create a new narrative for the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE)”, effectively re-branding and overhauling much of the management.

This would involve commissioning an independent, Scotland-wide evaluation of how CfE is being implemented and an attempt at simplifying and clarifying core guidance on the CfE. This, the report authors note, would require “deep-seated cultural beliefs” to change.

The report also said secondary schools needed to be more “stimulating and challenging learning environments”, particularly in poorer areas.

There was backing for the Government’s plans to introduce standardised testing, with the OECD saying the current system did not provide sufficiently robust information for policymakers, councils, schools or teachers.

Sturgeon said: “I am particularly pleased that the OECD supports our decision to develop and implement a National Improvement Framework. I firmly believe the framework will play an important role in driving work to close the attainment gap and continually improve Scottish education.”

Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), said the report painted a “largely positive” picture. He said: “It confirms previous data that indicates Scottish schools and levels of pupil attainment compare well both internationally and with other countries within the UK.”

Chris Keates, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), said: “The report is clear that the direction of travel for the education system in Scotland is positive.

“It will be vital for the Scottish Government, as it takes forward its proposals for the National Improvement Framework, to address these concerns, particularly as the planned introduction of national assessments has the potential to drive up teacher workload still further, if not implemented carefully.”

Montserrat Gomendio, deputy director of the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills, said: “We applaud Scotland for having the foresight and patience to put such an ambitious reform as Curriculum for Excellence in place; we hope that our OECD review will help ensure that it will live up to its full potential and realise excellence and equity right across Scotland.”