In a hard-hitting critique, David Eastwood, senior teaching fellow at Aberdeen University, warned that the curricular fall-out from the Munn report of the 1970s had allowed poorly researched “silly theories” about the workings of the brain to take hold in schools.

Mr Eastwood, a former headteacher, said schools should return to the simple notion of engaging pupils and teachers “across the board” in learning activities.

The Munn report, which introduced the seven “modes of learning” into the secondary curriculum, had settled on Scottish education “like a miasma” and ensured that there had been little serious debate about curricular issues for 25 years.

“Now that we are faced with the opportunity for flexibility, we have no serious debate on alternatives and no real view of how things might be different”, Mr Eastwood said.

He welcomed the fact that schools are now paying more attention to the way children learn but was concerned that the theories on which the work is based were not supported by empirical research. “Because we have had a lack of significant debate, we are prey to any fad that comes along, so people advance any kind of silly theory.

“The difficulty is that when you go back to the original research, for example on right brainleft brain and emotional intelligence, it simply does not support many of the claims now being made for it.”

Sally Brown, emeritus professor of education of Stirling University, said today’s reforms should be judged by the same criteria behind the much-admired 1947 report from the Advisory Council on Education in Scotland. This included the importance of “the reality of adolescent life with its immediate needs, instinctive tendencies and inescapable limitations”.

THE 11 COMMANDMENTS

The gospel according to Professor Sally Brown - 11 principles which she expects to inform Holyrood’s inquiry into the purposes of education (to which she is an adviser).

Education should:

* Promote positive values, active citizenship and increased awareness of community and culture.

* Have a positive impact on social exclusion and reduce alienation.

* Promote young people’s self-esteem, social development and sense of identity.

* Promote creativity and higher-order intellectual skills, and encourage emotional as well as cognitive development.

* Help young people deal with change and uncertainty and promote their capacity for constructive dissent.

* Encourage parents to realise their role in supporting children’s education.

* Encourage positive attitudes to further learning.

* Enable young people to play an active role in decisions which affect them.

* Encourage flexibility and diversity in teaching without detracting from common entitlements.

* Encourage the valuing of all kinds of achievement.

* Help teachers to develop professionally, increasing their self-confidence and autonomy.