AS ONE turns to the Scottish Parliament’s Education and the surveys collected by the Children and Young People Committee of Scotland, four important points instantly become clear: the country faces the problem of staff absence and the necessity of special training, extreme uncertainty levels in relation to exams, the vulnerability of pupils who are already vulnerable, and the persistent non-attendance among the learners.
As a way to address these crucial issues and introduce important changes in 2023, the Scottish government has started with the Attainment Challenge for the 2022-2023 to 2025-2026 time period. The main agenda of the mission is to provide detailed and individual support for children and youngsters living in poverty by turning to Pupil Equity Funding among other things. It acts as a way to introduce the other important changes in the educational sector that can finally close the gap in education and accelerate positive processes that have already been started and explored in the recent past.
– Changes in Qualification Systems for Primary Schools.
The planned changes are mostly aimed at primary schools with the purpose to let the young learners become central when it comes to evaluation and critical assessments. According to Scottish educators, the changes are long due, since it has been over twenty years since the talks started on the replacement of the current examination system. It is also believed that the changes that are bound to happen in 2023 will help to close the attainment gap problem. The changes will mostly relate to the creation of qualifications control, curriculum changes, and inspections. If you are unsure about the quality of your work or have to deal with a revision from your school or college professor, you must consider reliable writing services online to check with an expert and possibly improve your work to resubmit it again. It will help you to stay safe through times of academic uncertainty.
– Academic Policy & Governance Changes.
It will provide methods for teachers and students to collaborate differently and is aimed at universities where teachers can constantly improve their teaching skills as they learn and apply curriculum frameworks in practice. There will also be leadership and risk-management courses.
– Elimination of Classic Exams.
It has also been in the talks as the OECD representatives have mentioned the challenges of dealing with the final years of schooling where the formal examination system is becoming too much of a challenge. The teachers are constantly expressing their concerns regarding the high workload, which simply exhausts the young learners. The solution offered is the system of gradual evaluation where students can become graded during the term and receive feedback from the teachers as the final grade is being formed. It’s especially relevant for Sociology, Psychology, or those cases when a student is planning to earn a Politics degree where numerous debates and written tasks must be presented to form the final grade.
– An Increased Access to Technology.
It’s expected that more schools and universities will become equipped with suitable Internet access and tools. The Scottish government wants to consult the stakeholders in this regard to inspire the companies to become involved as the officials and unions present the practical plans to rebrand the schools and make the technology accessible for everyone.
Home Learning and Accessibility to Technology Aspect
One cannot deny the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic has helped numerous students in Scotland to make a transition from public schools and colleges to home learning or remote education methods. While most people unfamiliar with the educational challenges will assume that the use of technology and additional flexibility will help such learners to become advanced in their studies, the situation is way more complex than it seems.
The practice shows that such high-tech changes also introduce specific accessibility issues as students face problems with Internet access or the necessity for additional equipment to learn and cope with the demanding software requirements. The teachers, in their turn, also face accessibility issues as they cannot cope with the requirements and specifics of online learning. It shows that the expected increase in the use of technology and home learning has to be taken with a grain of salt as there are apparent challenges that must be addressed with due care and attention to specifics of the average Scottish family income and the practical accessibility to technology.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ruby Butz is constantly researching the challenges in the field of education and technology as she focuses on online learning methods and the problems of accessibility to learners worldwide. Her posts seek the most efficient solutions as she shares helpful recommendations based on her observations. Follow Ruby to find inspiration as you learn and get your message and ideas delivered.
