Exams System Needs Radical Overhaul – Scotland Education Secretary

Scotland’s  education secretary, Jenny Gilruth says the country’s qualification system needs a radical overhaul that better supports teachers and young people.

He was speaking as pupils across the country sat down for the first written exams of the 2023 session.

This is the last year any modifications will be made to mitigate disruption caused by the pandemic.

Next year the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) plans to set exams back to Pre-pandemic norms.

Last month an interim report, commissioned by the Scottish government to examine the future of assessment in the nation’s schools, said the current exam system was no longer fit for purpose.

A final version of the review by Louise Hayward is set to be published next month.

Read Also: 2023 UTME: Exams Begins Nationwide

Gilruth said that it is really important that what comes next, in the future, must better support the teachers in the schools but it also must better support young people.

She also dismissed the suggestion that future reform would be anything more than a rebranding exercise.

Hayward’s report also proposed the introduction of a Scottish diploma of achievement a qualification or graduation certificate that would provide evidence of pupils’ achievements.

Gilruth said there was a need to future-proof our qualifications and look radically into a different better future.

She also said it was essential that pupils were assessed continuously throughout the academic year.