IT’S been a tough week in education. John Swinney had the difficult task of trying to square a circle, and he was going to be severely criticised whichever way he tried. I understand the thinking behind the moderation system, and the value of the free and swift appeals process in producing individually fair results without jeopardising the integrity of the cohort result.

You can be sure that if he had chosen to let the teachers’ assessment stand in the first place, there would have been a self-righteous outcry along the lines of Gavin Williamson’s “over-promoted beyond their competence” warning. Funny how that does not appear to apply to grades at Eton.

I am, as ever, filled with despair at the laziness of the media who completely failed even to try to understand the detail of the process and the nuanced political implications of the possible approaches.

Ultimately, the articulate, confident, young people who complained achieved a good outcome. I know they had to suffer through one week of uncertainty and worry, but in the end they got the grades they deserved. Best of all, after all the hypocritical shouting from Labour and Tories, they cannot now belittle those grades for cheap political advantage. I can’t begin to imagine how tough this week has been for John Swinney personally, but the way he conducted the conversation was uplifting to watch. I have much respect for a government that is honest and prepared to listen with sincerity. An outright and unreserved apology is a rare thing in politics. If only there were more governments like this.

I do think this week has shone a light on the assessment process in general. It seems that teacher assessment produces dramatically different and less unequal results. Exams measure a very limited set of skills, and that which is measurable is not always that which is valuable. Moreover, a system of snapshot judgements has inequality built in – with the best will in the world, if you were up all night with an unhappy sibling sharing your room, or hungry, or worried, you are already behind your confident, well-fed, rested, professionally-parented peers. I struggle to see what an exam grade really tells us about a student’s wider competence as a human being and an empowered member of society.

As a teacher and a parent, I am deeply unhappy with the pernicious narrative repeated by lazy journalists baying about failing education. Of course there is an achievement gap, and there will be whilst there is universal credit. There can be no equality in education until there is equality in society, and there won’t be until we have the fiscal levers to make dramatic changes.

I am immensely proud of our Curriculum for Excellence and its fundamental ethos. Collaboration, resilience, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, creativity and problem solving skills will become ever more crucial in an uncertain future.

In terms of fundamental values and vision, our education system is leading, not failing, and it offends me professionally to hear people say otherwise. The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act and the GIRFEC way of working are thoughtful and clear, and they have the children at their very heart. “Raising the Ambition” is profoundly progressive and inspiring. My PhD research considers child-led play pedagogues in education, and our philosophy can stand with its head held high amongst the best in the world.

I feel very strongly that the educational debate needs to be had over the next few months, or the bland sniping from opposition parties purely interested in point-scoring and misrepresentation risks undermining public confidence. If you say it often enough, people will begin to believe it. The media pick up the baton and run with it without questioning the various narratives and examining the underpinning values of different approaches. What is it you want: kids who fit into the system and can spew out pre-determined facts when required for PISA-type test scores, or confident individuals who can think for themselves and have the confidence to speak out and know they will be listened to?

Lisa MacDonald
Achiltibuie