Published, The Scotsman, 27th April, 2010

Curriculum for Excellence has regularly been vilified for its vagueness, for its lack of clarity and for its lack of prescribed content. For me, these criticisms miss the point entirely. However, they have come about as a result of expectation. The biggest mistake of all is that it was named ‘Curriculum for Excellence’ as it is not a curriculum at all. It is a series of outcomes and experiences that all pupils should gain throughout their school years with schools free to develop the content they feel best fits the desired outcome.

To add further to the confusion, we still have no idea what the examination system will look like and this makes secondary school teachers extremely nervous. It is simply not good enough to introduce a curriculum, however worthy, if the assessment design is not in place. It is like playing football without goal nets.

In practice, this will mean Primary schools will be doing fabulous work on the new curriculum whilst secondary schools twirl their fingers and await more detail.

So, these criticisms aside, why do I believe in what the new curriculum seeks to do?

Well, it continues to ensure our focus is primarily in helping youngsters to become articulate, literate and numerate but it attempts to go further so that children become better equipped with skills which will allow them to enquire, reflect, problem solve, strategise, analyse and create. These are children who will one day lead their nations and it is therefore essential that they learn in a secure environment, where discipline, self-belief and the value of our fellow human beings is central to the learning process. Without developing an ethos where caring for others or valuing differences in culture or religion is seen as worthy, we create citizens who are intolerant and incapable of perspective. This would be the greatest failure of all. 

 CfE seeks to create a strong, values-based ethos where children learn in an environment that is thoughtful and mutually supportive.

My fervent belief is that Curriculum for Excellence provides us with the platform for a worthy 21st Century Education and each of us should be applauding it. It is unfortunate, but entirely understandable, that it has not yet galvanized or inspired the profession.

« »