An education researcher hopes to pursue legislation in the Scottish Parliament to scrap the agency which awards exams results.
Barry Black will stand for election as an MSP in May and if successful will push for changes to the law replacing the Scottish Qualifications Authority with a new qualifications agency.
The SQA came under fire over its handling of this year’s results for National 5s, Highers and Advanced Highers after exams were cancelled.
Trust eroded
In his probe into the moderation process Professor Mark Priestley found that trust had been eroded among teachers and pupils in the SQA.
The Scottish Government has asked the OECD to consider how pupils are assessed and qualifications awarded in its review of the curriculum for excellence.
Labour candidate in the North East, Mr Black is a postgraduate researcher at Glasgow University.
He called the SQA’s moderation of this year’s grades a “shambles” and claimed its role in the creation of new qualifications had narrowed the curriculum.
‘Unleash potential’
A new agency, he said, would help ‘unleash the potential’ of Scottish education.
He said: “Much of the great innovation in Scottish education is suffocated in the senior phase by the requirements of qualifications.
“As this country finally reviews how it assesses young people and awards qualifications it is time we reflect on the agency tasked with doing that.
“Over a long period of time and across a range of issues – whether profiting from selling qualifications abroad or their confused role in creating new qualifications for the senior phase – the culture of the SQA has lacked accountability and transparency.
As this country finally reviews how it assesses young people and awards qualifications it is time we reflect on the agency tasked with doing that.”
Barry Black
“It is an organisation unanswerable to teachers, young people and even the Scottish Parliament itself.
“This years’ exam results shambles was just the latest saga to leave the SQA as an organisation that has lost trust and confidence such an organisation needs.”
Mr Black’s research focuses on the role of deprivation on subject choices and attainment.
Following analysis of Dundee pupil attendance, he recently warned this year’s higher absence rate could lead to more city youngsters leaving school without any qualifications.
SQA
The SQA was approached for comment but declined to respond.
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