In any walk of life it is essential not just to focus on the day-to-day challenges with which we all wrestle, but also take time to look at the big picture. I certainly feel that as education secretary, a role which presents me with no shortage of day-to-day issues to try to resolve. These can often dominate the public debate and prevent us from reflecting on longer term progress.
As the days of 2018 count down, and a new year beckons, perhaps this is a good time to take a step back.
In among those day-to-day issues will be debate about the tactical choices that are made within our schools, local authorities and government about Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). We must consider them in context.
At the heart of CfE is our desire to ensure that young people in Scotland are equipped with the “four capacities”: that they become successful learners, effective contributors, responsible citizens and confident individuals. As a country, after extensive debate, we agreed these were the fundamental capacities that mattered in our society.
As I travel around the schools of Scotland - and I have now visited a significant number - as I engage with young people in a variety of forums, I believe there is an abundant amount of evidence that Scottish education is succeeding in equipping young people with the four capacities. One vivid occasion that demonstrated this to me was when I recently convened a gathering of the Scottish Education Council at Musselburgh Grammar School in East Lothian. We asked the school’s young people to set the agenda and they led our discussions on mental health and wellbeing, the use of Pupil Equity funding and exam stress arising from SQA changes.
They were confident, insightful, articulate and challenging - exactly what you would hope from young people in command of the four capacities.
That is what I think is the triumph of Scottish education today. We have undergone significant and disruptive change to our curriculum that I appreciate has been demanding of the profession. But it has also created the space, the opportunity and the flexibility for teachers to deploy their professional capabilities. We can now see the tangible benefits of the strength that has been created amongst young people as a consequence. As we wrestle with the day-to-day challenges, we should ensure that we take heart from the profound and beneficial impact that CfE is having on the future of young people in Scotland.
I hope everyone in Scottish education has a peaceful Christmas.
John Swinney is Scotland’s education secretary and deputy first minister
