Blogs

Handling the pressure

Curriculum Staff wellbeing
As the new term gets fully underway, Julian Stanley looks at the pressures facing Scottish teachers this year, not least in handling the ongoing curriculum and exam changes.

Teachers in Scotland continue to grapple with the task of implementing new national qualifications. This summer teenagers sat the very first National 4 and National 5 exams, which replaced the Standard Grade. They produced record results, which will please the Scottish government – but the road to get there has been far from smooth.

Education ministers were criticised for hastily pushing through the new tests last winter, sparking anger from teachers who felt there was not enough time (a matter of months) to prepare their students for the spring exams.

This prompted the Scottish government to fork out £5 million to help train staff to manage the transition. This is a healthy sum, and the kind of support which is readily welcomed.

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