VITAL reforms to “second class” school qualifications to make them more appealing to pupils risk being delayed, a teaching union has warned.
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) has written to ministers highlighting concern over a slip in discussions for change to National 4 qualifications.
Since they were introduced in 2013 there has been concern over a lower than expected uptake, with some parents and teachers not valuing National 4 because it has no final exam.
Instead, pupils have been entered for the more advanced National 5 qualifications which not all candidates are suited to.
As a result, an expert group chaired by Education Secretary John Swinney has agreed to reform the qualification, with one strong possibility the introduction of an external assessment.
The government said no agreement had been made on a timetable for change, but the EIS said the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) was now putting off discussions until after the summer.
Larry Flanagan, the union’s general secretary, said: “We have expressed our concern to the SQA at the suggestion that work on improving the National 4 award may be delayed. This is extremely disappointing news and will be source of great concern amongst teachers.
“Getting National 4 right is key to the success of the other changes being made to qualifications and changes are required urgently.
“The EIS has raised this matter with Mr Swinney as chair of the review group because it is extremely important we now get on with delivering the improvements that all parties agree are needed.”
However, a Scottish Government spokeswoman stressed the importance of the SQA being given sufficient time to deliver the annual diet of exams as well as ongoing reforms to other qualifications including National 5 and Highers.
She said: “There is no delay to introducing changes to National 4. Whilst there is a consensus on the need to review National 4, there has been no agreement either on the specifics of any changes or on the timetable for introducing them.
“National 4 is a key part of our National qualifications and the review must be carefully thought through, taking account the views of a range of education bodies.
“In agreeing a timetable for undertaking this work we need to recognise the balance of our commitments to introduce changes to National 5 and Higher with the SQA’s capacity to deliver the annual exam diet safely.”
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