NICOLA Sturgeon has insisted ministers will publish the most comprehensive information on schools’ and pupils’ performances to date as part of plans to introduce national assessments and improve education standards.
She made the pledge after she came under attack from Ruth Davidson yesterday who accused her of “backtracking” on proposals announced earlier this year. Davidson cited a recent advice note from Scotland’s main teaching union, the Educational Institute of Scotland, which claimed the Scottish Government had “watered down” plans for standardised assessments. They are backing off from it, that is what they have told the teachers across our country.”
“The First Minister and I absolutely agree this needs to be done. We will stick by our guns. Why isn’t she sticking by hers?”
But hitting back, the SNP leader told MSPs: “What we are talking about publishing is information on the percentages of pupils, all pupils, not samples of pupils, all pupils and whether or not they meet the required levels of the Curriculum for Excellence on a local authority by local authority basis, and on a school-by-school basis.
“Detailed comprehensive information that allows us to tell not just a snapshot of how our education system is performing, but how each and every school across the country is performing. That means if we have to take action in particular areas or particular schools, that should be done.
“That is information that no previous government has published, that will be published for the first time and it is a sign of the determination I have to deal with the problem we’re talking about.”
She also made clear: “On the point about whether all pupils will be required to sit assessments, let me make it absolutely clear – yes, they will be. That is my expectation and that is what I intend to see happen...That will inform the judgements that teachers make, that will lead to the publication of information which will give us for the first time a clear picture of what is happening in each of our schools.
“And then we will be able to take action if any particular school or if any particular area is not performing in the way we think necessary.”
The Tory leader challenged Sturgeon on the issue during the first session of First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood since May’s election, in which the Tories overtook Labour to become the second largest party in the parliament.
The assessments are being brought in for youngsters in P1, P4, P7 and S3, with ministers arguing the data is vital in helping them close the attainment gap in schools.
Critics have warned publishing the results of the tests, as outlined in the Scottish Government’s National Improvement Framework, could lead to a return to school league tables, while some have suggested they could lead to undue pressure and stress on young pupils.
However, the Government believes full and detailed information is needed in order to redress any problems in specific schools.
The clash in the Holyrood chamber came days after new figures suggested numeracy levels in Scotland’s schools had fallen.
Davidson said the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy (SSLN) showed “a third of S2 pupils aren’t meeting basic standards in numeracy” while “the attainment gap between children from richer and poorer backgrounds” had widened.
The First Minister said the findings of the SSLN were “not acceptable” and urged all the parties to support Government plans to raise standards.
However, she also pointed out that the data provided by the SSLN was “limited”, saying the information is drawn from a sample that includes just four pupils per primary school and 12 pupils per secondary.
The SNP leader said: “It doesn’t enable us to tell school-by-school how schools are performing, that is why the National Improvement Framework will lead to more comprehensive school-by-school data that allows us to target our efforts more closely.”
Kezia Dugdale also quizzed the First Minister on education.
From her new seat in the chamber reserved for the leader of the parliament’s third party, she too seized on the SSLN figures, saying a 10 per cent education budget cut was to blame for falling standards.
On funding, Sturgeon added: “We have been very clear about the need to increase resources to tackle attainment. That’s why the plans we set out in the election... are to increase funding by an extra £750 million over this parliament, specifically targeted at attainment.”
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