EDUCATION BILL: GREENS REITERATE CONCERNS OVER TESTING
Isla O'Reilly, Education, Children and Young People spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP candidate for Highlands and Islands, tonightreiterated concerns about national testing following approval of the Education Bill.
The legislation contains a duty for local authorities to tackle inequality but it also says they must implement the Scottish Government's National Improvement Framework which will reintroduce national testing in primary and secondary schools.
Speaking in this evening’s debate at Holyrood, Scottish Green MSP Alison Johnstone emphasised the need for more teachers to reduce class sizes.
Isla O'Reilly, Education, Children and Young People spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP candidate for Highlands and Islands, said:
"While this Bill contains many sound principles, Scottish Greens would have preferred to see action to reduce class sizes, protect additional support needs and address teacher workload. Our concerns about national testing, shared by many parents, teachers and education experts, have been made clear.
“Scotland can close the attainment gap but what's needed is investment in teacher recruitment and training, and investment in Additional Support Needs which disproportionately affects children from lower income backgrounds. It's clear that we need more Green voices at Holyrood for bolder action on the educational improvements that will make a real difference."