Scottish ministers push major overhaul of Curriculum for Excellence after poor PISA results
Scotland's education secretary announced the biggest reform to the Curriculum for Excellence since 2010, citing recent PISA scores that lag behind England.
PISA results released last month placed Scotland behind England in core subjects, prompting Education Secretary Mairi McAllan to announce the largest revision of the Curriculum for Excellence since its 2010 introduction. The reforms aim to re-emphasise factual knowledge within the curriculum. Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth, a former teacher, challenged the validity of the OECD-run study, arguing that England's higher scores reflect a "shallow" emphasis on memorisation rather than deeper learning.
Andrea Bradley, general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland, urged a more nuanced view, accusing the OECD of effective marketing that portrays PISA as the definitive benchmark. Critics suggest the shift away from knowledge-focused teaching may have contributed to the decline, while supporters argue the test does not capture the full picture of educational quality.
Why it matters
The reforms could reshape how Scottish students are taught and assessed nationwide.
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