Scottish Labour calls on Holyrood to rethink education reforms

The Herald Scotland

23-06-2025

The Education (Scotland) Bill also includes plans to establish a chief inspector of education, who would be tasked with inspecting nurseries, schools and colleges across Scotland.
However, Holyrood's Education Committee has warned the Bill needs "substantial amendment" to ensure the improvements ministers want to see are brought about.
Labour education spokeswoman Pam Duncan-Glancy has hit out at the legislation, which she says will result in a "superficial rebrand" of the SQA.
She spoke out ahead of MSPs debating hundreds of amendments to the Bill in a sitting that is expected to last until 10pm on Tuesday.
Ms Duncan-Glancy said: "Scottish Labour will not back a Bill that is just tinkering around the edges of a system that is failing pupils, families and teachers."
Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP Labour has brought forward amendments to the legislation seeking to set up a new independent body called Curriculum Scotland.
Labour also wants to give Holyrood the ability to set in statute the minimum frequency at which school inspections should take place.
It also wants to require Qualifications Scotland to engage with trade unions, as well as ensure children and young people are listened to when determining how the new bodies should operate.
Speaking ahead of the amendments being debated, Ms Duncan-Glancy said: "We can see the consequences of SNP incompetence in our once-world-class schools - performance is declining, the attainment gap is growing, and violence is rife.
"The SQA has lost the trust of teachers and the public - it needs to be abolished, but all the SNP has come up with is a superficial rebrand.
"Only Scottish Labour's plans will genuinely scrap the SQA, deliver on the experts' calls to separate powers and create a qualifications body with teachers, children and parents at its heart."
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She added: "Scotland's young people are our country's greatest asset - they need genuine reform and we will not vote for anything that falls short of this.
"It is not too late for the SNP to listen to the experts and overhaul this legislation so it delivers genuine change and rebuilds public trust."
Conservative education spokesperson Miles Briggs also accused SNP ministers of being "in complete denial' about the changes needed to improve Scottish education.
The Tory MSP said: "It is shocking that they are simply planning to rebadge the SQA which is not fit for purpose and needs to be consigned to the history books once and for all."
He added: "I hope the SNP will take this opportunity and support amendments brought forward by both the Scottish Conservatives and others to make this Bill fit for purpose and give Scots the world-class education system they deserve."
The committee's report, published in December, backed the replacement of SQA and the creation of an independent inspectorate.
Their report added that the committee "believes the Bill will require substantial amendment to ensure that the improvements envisaged by the Scottish Government in relation to engagement, governance, organisational culture and accountability become a reality for learners, teachers and staff".
The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment.