The government is drawing up urgent proposals to save the Scottish Baccalaureate as interest in the flagship qualification spirals downwards, TESS can reveal.

It aims to publish plans within weeks after a review into the decline of the Baccalaureate. The qualification, available in science, social sciences, expressive arts and languages, was designed to encourage the type of independent learning demanded in universities.

Only 99 students passed the Baccalaureate in 2015, after a high of 165 in 2013. Interest has plummeted in the independent sector, which had eight candidates in 2015.

The SQA’s enthusiasm for the qualification appears to have waned, with union leaders remarking that little has been done to promote it recently. The Scottish government, however, is not considering scrapping the Baccalaureate.

The commitment to a Scottish Baccalaureate was part of the SNP’s manifesto when it came into power in 2007. It was designed to encourage more pupils to study science and languages deep into secondary school, raise the status of S6 (Year 13) and help leavers make the transition into higher and further education or employment.

This is an edited article from the 26 February edition of TESS. Subscribers can read the full article here. This week’s TESS magazine is available in all good newsagents. To download the digital edition, Android users can click here and iOS users can click here

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