Scots teachers yesterday warned that a flagship government initiative to reform what is taught in schools could fail through lack of funding.
Scots teachers yesterday warned that a flagship government initiative to reform what is taught in schools could fail through lack of funding.
The country's largest teaching union said it was growing "increasingly concerned" that school staff were not being given enough money, resources or training time to allow the Curriculum for Excellence to be implemented.
And the Educational Institute of Scotland warned that without these essential ingredients, the new curriculum could fail. Ronnie Smith, general secretary of the EIS, said: "Sadly, the current position is that the worthy aspirations of the new curriculum are at risk of not being met.
"We have been strong advocates of the Curriculum for Excellence since its inception and continue to do all we can to support this ambitious programme, but we cannot ignore the fact teachers are being asked to implement a radical programme of curricular change with an acute absence of support, resources and development time."
Mr Smith said teachers could not be expected to deliver the new curriculum "on the cheap". He added: "If the worthy aims of the new curriculum are to be realised, teachers need proper support and the programme needs to be properly funded and adequately resourced.
"With current teaching and other commitments, many teachers cannot devote the time needed to work on the Curriculum for Excellence and, without this development time, it cannot succeed.
"Without a step change in resourcing and support the Curriculum for Excellence is at risk and a great opportunity to improve the learning experience for generations of Scottish pupils will be lost."
The Curriculum for Excellence was launched in November 2004 by the previous Scottish Executive to reform what is taught in nursery, primary and secondary schools. It followed concern that teaching had become overly focused on passing exams and tests while teachers complained that curriculum content was too prescriptive and did not allow the interests of pupils to be pursued.
So far, plans for a new curriculum have been given a mixed welcome by teachers and academics who claim the proposals are vague and ignore the fundamental principles of subjects such as science and numeracy.
There have also been worries from subject specialists that crucial elements of courses will be lost in the drive to give teachers more flexibility.
However, Fiona Hyslop, the Education Secretary, has urged all those involved in Scottish education to get behind the Curriculum for Excellence. Ms Hyslop accepts there are challenges ahead to make the curriculum work, but believes it is up to everyone involved in Scottish education to implement it.
Yesterday, a Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "An additional implementation year has already been announced for Curriculum for Excellence. The overall programme encompasses consideration of implementation requirements including professional development.
"The Scottish Government recognises the need to support the education sector through this reform and will work vigorously with the full range of interests to ensure that we deliver a seamless education for three to 18-year-olds which will provide a more satisfying schooling experience for Scotland's children and young people."
