Concerns that Angus secondary school youngsters will be out of exam step with other parts of Scotland under the new Curriculum for Excellence have been rejected.
The fears arose over speculation the county’s pupils would not be able to sit the same number of Standard Grade equivalents as counterparts in other areas, leading on to a reduced number of Highers and the prospect of missing out in the race for university places.
One local parent of a second-year pupil said they had spoken to others anxious about the way the Curriculum for Excellence was being carried forward in Angus.
Angus Council and the EIS teaching union have played down the worries.
The parent said: “It’s quite worrying for it to have been suggested that in other areas pupils would have the equivalent of eight passes and in Angus we might be talking about a maximum of six.
“If your child is applying to university and in the main academic stream I would have thought it reasonable to assume that their chances of acceptance might be reduced if they have fewer exam passes than someone from another area.
“Angus pupils could be thrown out at the first sift. Is that what the director of education would want his legacy to be for the children of this area?”
An Angus Council spokesman said its Curriculum for Excellence framework followed national guidelines.
“The design and introduction of Curriculum for Excellence in Angus secondary schools offers high-quality, challenging and enjoyable learning experiences to best meet the needs of all learners.
“Head teachers and school timetablers have been closely involved in developing an Angus curriculum framework designed to ensure that all our young people are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for life beyond school, whether in the workplace or in further or higher education. That framework is in line with national guidance.
“In S3, learners will have the opportunity to select the subjects they wish to study in the senior phase. Almost all learners will follow six courses in S4 leading to SQA-accredited awards. This means almost all learners will study maths and English alongside four further selected options.”
The spokesman continued: “For young people, making subject choices in S3 rather than S2, as currently means they will continue a broad general education, across the full breadth of the curriculum, for an additional year. Not only will this offer a broader and more secure base of learning but also a further year before selecting which subjects to focus on in the senior phase.
“In S5 and S6 most learners, as at present, will be able to choose five options each year. This will allow them either to build on work in S4 and deepen their learning by progressing within a subject to the next level of study or to broaden their learning by starting to study a new subject at a level appropriate to their prior progress and achievement.
“Any parent wishing specific information about changes to the curriculum in their child’s school should attend planned parent information events or contact the school to discuss.”
Angus EIS secretary Phil Jackson said he was not aware that the concerns being expressed had surfaced at either local or national level, adding that he doubted individual local authorities could make significant changes within the programme.
“It is not something that has come to us, and if parents have concerns or require clarification of what may be outlined to them at an information event then they should go back to the school and raise that,” said Mr Jackson.
Photo by Flickr user dcjohn.