First Minister Nicola Sturgeon pinned her political legacy on education, stating that it would be “firmly at the heart of everything my government aspires to do”.
Since she came to office almost two years ago, the government has made it a priority to raise attainment in schools and ensure that more Scottish students from low incomes make it into top universities.
Its flagship policy, the reintroduction of standardised assessment in primary schools, has provoked praise and scorn in equal measure. Both parents’ groups and teachers’ unions have attacked the plans, with concerns raised about the impact that the move could have on teacher and student workloads.
However, the simple fact is that, according to a 2016 report from the Sutton Trust, Scotland’s wealthiest children are four times more likely to leave school with the Highers needed to get into university than their poorer classmates, while in many of the most deprived areas, not a single child leaves school with the grades needed.
Socially inclusive admissions
We recently co-hosted a roundtable with thinktank IPPR Scotland. Leaders who attended from across the sector suggested that providing universities with contextual data about how applicants have progressed since primary school could help them make more socially inclusive admission choices that recognise the progress made by students, rather than just the level attained. In time, this should help ensure that young people from any and all backgrounds are able to access the highest levels of education.
If we want to see this happen, then we need to provide schools with more information about how their students are performing. This information currently exists at school and council level, but the national picture is vague. Government figures show that 6,000 children currently leave primary school unable to read or write properly. Without access to detailed progress data, we will find it difficult to fix this problem.
In time, people from all backgrounds should be able to access the highest levels of education
Standardising assessment in primary schools is a good opportunity to start to meet this challenge. However, we should proceed with care. Primary assessments should not see the return of outdated school league tables or add to teachers’ already stretched workloads. The Commission on School Reform was also right to voice caution against teaching to the test, as this would devalue the very purpose of education.
Modern technology can help the sector avoid these pitfalls. Online formative assessments analyse development and progression rather than focusing on what students know. They can also provide teachers with an instant and accurate picture of students’ progression, and areas for improvement; in time, this should reduce workloads and drive up standards.
The education sector is right to be cautious about the reintroduction of standardised assessment. However, providing we proceed with caution, we have a once-in-a-generation chance to maximise opportunity for the next generation.
James Bell is director of professional services at Renaissance Learning UK
