“Scotland needs greater flexibility in its primary and secondary education”- that is the call from Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser as he quizzed the cabinet secretary for Education on the diversity of school education.
Murdo Fraser asked the Mike Russell, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, what the Scottish Government was doing to promote a more diverse education system. In response Mr Russell insisted that the there were already “considerable freedoms available to schools in Scotland to govern in a way that best suits local needs and parental wishes.”
In his supplementary, the Scottish Conservative MSP asked what encouragement would be given to groups looking to create a new state school, Mike Russell replied by stating his wish to not see the education system “balkanised” but also explained that he was relaxed about innovation as long as it was driven by “principle” and was clearly beneficial to the “educational attainment of children.”
Commenting Murdo Fraser MSP said:
“Scottish education has long been trumpeted for providing a broad general education, but it needs to become more flexible in order to meet the challenges of today’s job market.
“The group I mentioned in Edinburgh are keen to tailor their children’s education to a specific set of values and ideals, but want to do so in the state school environment. Such passionate parental engagement should be welcomed and when the Scottish Government is building new schools there should be scope to create an educational experience out with the one-size-fits all system available today.
“The Scottish Government is failing to widen access in higher education and only a more diversified and targeted curriculum can help bridge this gap.”