Fiona Hyslop, the Education and Lifelong Learning Secretary, made a statement to parliament on Thursday, launching a consultation on National Qualifications after The TESS went to press. It confirms our exclusive story reported on March 21, “Standard grade to be axed”

Vision

The vision for Curriculum for Excellence is to achieve transformational change in Scottish education. This change will provide better attainment, attendance and improved outcomes for all our children and young people including those who are not currently achieving their potential and those who need to be challenged more. We will also place a greater emphasis on developing and recognising young people's literacy and numeracy skills. We intend that Curriculum for Excellence is a curriculum for all Scotland's young people.

Our ambition is to create an education system that raises the bar for all: not only in what is being learned but in how learning is applied and used.

To meet these ambitions it will be essential that we have a qualifications system that is robust and meets the aspirations of the Curriculum for Excellence programme.

We have reflected on the current shape of qualifications and found that, in general, our existing system works well for many young people. Indeed, at a time when so many young people are preparing to take their exams, we should all acknowledge the hard work and application which our current system demands. My best wishes go to those students.

This Government wants a qualification system that works for all young people, including those who are less likely to realise their full potential. That is why we need a 'next generation' qualification system which will meet the needs of the next generation, equipping individuals with the skills required to meet the needs of today and the demands of tomorrow.

To do that, we need a coherent system of curriculum and assessment from 3 to 18. We need a qualifications system which reinforces the values, purposes and principles of Curriculum for Excellence. There are also some aspects of the current qualifications system that need to be improved. This demands change.

Consultation - Outline

It is my intention to hold a consultation on a number of proposals for the next generation of qualifications for Scotland's young people.

I have set a number of broad objectives to underpin the consultation on these "next generation" qualifications.

· The qualifications system must meet the needs of Scotland in the 21st Century by progressing the Scottish Government's principal purpose of sustainable economic development and our five overarching strategic objectives;

· We want to allow all young people the opportunity to experience and enjoy a broad general curriculum to the end of S3, reflecting the traditional strengths of the Scottish education system;

· We must develop an assessment system that supports the curriculum rather than leads it and ensures that a young person's transition into qualifications is smooth;

· There should be no need for young people to take examinations prior to S4.

· We also want to promote a fuller recognition of each young person's achievements including those beyond qualifications;

· A final objective is to ensure a better balance in learning and teaching between equipping our young people with the skills for passing exams and equipping them with skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work.

In particular: -
Assessment must be used to support, motivate and challenge young people;
I want the new system to increase focus on literacy and numeracy and other skills for life and skills for work;
The revised qualifications system should reduce the current complexity particularly at SCQF levels 4 and 5 where there are two different qualifications (Standard Grade and Intermediate) which themselves have different structures and grading systems within them;
It should also provide a range of opportunities to meet the needs of all young people;
We also need to explore options to increase flexibility in the time taken to achieve qualifications - for example tackling the 'two term dash' to Higher which can present a barrier to some young people; and
With so many young people staying on at school, we must look to enhance the S6 experience


Specific proposals

I intend to consult on a number of detailed proposals to achieve these objectives.

Literacy and numeracy

In line with our priorities, my first main proposal is to:

Introduce new awards in literacy and numeracy.

The draft experiences and outcomes in numeracy and literacy provide a shared, modern definition of our expectations of learning and teaching in these areas. The fact that all teachers have a role in developing these skills is testament to the importance we attach to them.

For the first time all teaching in all subjects will be expected to embed literacy and numeracy - that is a difference of the new Curriculum.

To help strengthen this focus, I propose developing two new separate awards to accredit young people's literacy and numeracy skills - the Scottish Certificate for Literacy and the Scottish Certificate for Numeracy. These will be assessed in S4.

We will have to look at the most appropriate way to recognise and evaluate skills in literacy and numeracy. The approach I favour is to provide the opportunity for certification for all our young people, wherever they are learning. For that reason, I propose that the awards be made available at SCQF levels 3 to 5.

I suggest that the awards should draw upon evidence from young people's work across the curriculum but also in part be assessed externally through an examination. As part of lifelong learning, the awards should also be made available to adult learners in colleges. However, I will ensure that the consultation is open around details of implementation.

Standard Grade and Intermediate

This leads me on to my second major proposal.

This relates to Standard Grade and Intermediate qualifications. These are good qualifications. However, the system is complex and needs to be simplified.

The time is also right to consider whether these qualifications in their current form best suit the needs of tomorrow's young people, employers and other users of qualifications. While both qualifications have served us well, education has moved on. For instance, Standard Grade is no longer the "exit" qualification it used to be. And whilst originally designed for those in S5 and S6, Intermediates are increasingly taken by younger pupils.

We need a 'next generation' qualification. Although valuable in their own right, neither of these two systems reflects the values, purposes and principles of Curriculum for Excellence. We need to adapt the system to meet new challenges and circumstances.

The consultation will propose a definite way forward whilst still being open to ideas around structures and implementation.

We propose to:

Introduce a new general qualification to be offered at SCQF levels 4 and 5 which will replace both Standard Grade (General and Credit) and Intermediate 1 and 2, whilst reflecting the best features of the present arrangements.

Standard Grade's real strength is generally felt to be its inclusivity, providing 'certification for all'. The unit structure of Intermediate qualifications is considered to be their best feature, providing flexibility and motivation for young people. I expect the new general qualification at SCQF levels 4 and 5 to deliver as many of these features as possible. At SCQF level 3, Standard Grade Foundation level will be removed, with Access 3 providing an appropriate replacement.

This leads me on to my third proposal. It will be necessary to ensure that the other parts of the qualifications framework reflect the changes proposed at SCQF levels 4 and 5 and the aspirations of Curriculum for Excellence more generally. Scottish qualifications are held in high regard both nationally and internationally. I am therefore proposing that:

We build on the success of the present system. Qualifications at Access, Higher and Advanced Higher will be retained as valued qualifications and points of stability. Highers, in particular, will remain the "gold standard" of the Scottish education system.

However, the content of all qualifications will be updated in line with Curriculum for Excellence. Some aspects of the structure of these qualifications will also be reviewed.

Children currently in P6 are likely to be the first to fully experience the new secondary curriculum. As such, they will be the first to require access to the next generation of qualifications. We will therefore plan to have revised qualifications in place from 2012/13 onwards.

Of course, it will be for local authorities and schools to determine which subjects they offer and at what level. However, I would like to underline my commitment to the future of Advanced Highers. Along with Highers, these valuable qualifications are rightly held in high regard by universities and I see them continuing to have an important role in ensuring an appropriate level of challenge for our most able learners and securing the status of S6. That is why we are making Advanced Highers an essential element of our Science and Languages Baccalaureates. I will announce further details on the baccalaureate proposals later this session.

I will now turn to other elements of the consultation

In addition to the main proposals, I plan to use the consultation to investigate ways in which we can increase flexibility to better meet the needs of young people.

We will suggest a number of options and ideas for doing this.

These include:

Promoting opportunities to bypass lower level qualifications

We will consult on how we can encourage our most able young people who are likely to attain more advanced levels of qualifications such as Higher not to take the lower levels. So, for example, those who are clearly capable of doing so could begin studying for Highers in S4. This is in keeping with our wider objective to ensure qualifications support and reflect individual learning; rather than have learning determined by qualifications.

I want to test the opportunities for

Taking qualifications over a variable timeframe

The pressures of the so called "two-term" dash to Higher have been a long-standing concern in Scottish education.

To address this I want to explore the possibility of allowing young people the opportunity to study qualifications over an extended timeframe. For example, over 18 months or even 2 years as well as the one year at present. This leads me to my final area for consultation.

I also want to explore

The possibility of introducing a winter diet of examinations.

I believe that a winter diet will provide opportunities for greater choice and flexibility as it could facilitate courses of study over 18 months.

Closing

This consultation concerns everyone. Qualifications have implications for our economy, our society, our future. It is for this reason that we will be holding the consultation over a more extended period than usual so that we can gather views from as broad a range of stakeholders as possible.

I expect the consultation to be launched in June and to take views until the end of October 2008.

Its launch will coincide with the release of another key document: "Building the Curriculum - A Framework for Learning and Teaching". This will set out our expectations for young people's entitlements as they experience a broad general education and help those involved in planning the 3-18 curriculum.

In keeping with our concordat with local government, education authorities will be key partners in taking forward the development and implementation of policy in these areas.

In closing, Presiding Officer, I would want to acknowledge the importance of ensuring that the qualifications system builds upon the rich general educational experience to the end of S3, with its emphasis on helping our young people to build skills for learning, skills for work and skills for life, to follow an active, healthy and environmentally sustainable lifestyle and to develop an appreciation of Scotland and its place in the world.

As a key element of our education system, the shape of our future qualification system will be crucial for Scotland's young people and for Scotland as a nation. There is clear evidence that Scotland has a good education system. However, it can be better. Indeed, it needs to be better. It needs to help all Scotland's young people develop their skills, talents and ambitions to the full. It needs to help Scotland become smarter, wealthier and fairer, safer and stronger, healthier and greener. Curriculum for Excellence presents us with a tremendous opportunity to create a truly world class education system. Let's take that opportunity - this and future generations of young people deserve it.