Scotland's new qualifications body has pledged to reset relationships with teachers and learners and to grasp the potential of technology such as AI.

Qualifications Scotland also plans to provide more digital access to assessments and to rebalance assessment, cutting reliance on external exams and increasing the use of continuous and internal evaluations.

The organisation, which will replace the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), has published a "roadmap" of its plans ahead of its arrival in late 2025.

The blueprint, named Prospectus for Change, pledges to make sure the qualifications and assessments offered keep pace with changes in society and the economy.

It said this will include shifting the balance of assessment approaches, "reviewing and rationalising" the qualifications portfolio and providing more digital access to assessments.

The organisation also plans to grasp the potential of technology to streamline services, and to provide leadership on the use of AI in qualifications and assessment, "recognising the opportunities it provides as well as the challenges it poses".

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SQA chief executive Fiona Robertson said: "Extensive feedback from right across the education and skills community has helped shape our new Prospectus.

"The establishment of Qualifications Scotland will retain the best of SQA: highly-regarded qualifications and the knowledge and passion of our people.

"However, this is much more than a name change; this is about resetting relationships and rebuilding and maintaining the trust of those we serve.

"Just as the Prospectus has been developed collaboratively, we are committed to working with everyone across the education and skills community to deliver the commitments in the Prospectus."

The Scottish Government announced in June 2021 that SQA would be replaced.

In its new prospectus, Qualifications Scotland also proposes reviewing and rationalising the current qualifications portfolio so that it is focused on both the needs of learners and the needs of colleges, universities, employers and society.

SQA chair Shirley Rogers said: "As we move to establishing Qualifications Scotland it's important that we do so in partnership with the education community, with learners, educators, parents, carers and business.

"The launch of our Prospectus for Change not only sets out some early priority areas but signals the collaborative, flexible and inclusive approach that we will take as we establish our new organisation.

"There is a lot to do, building on a strong portfolio of qualifications and at the same time developing our digital platform and making sure that our qualifications keep pace with the needs of learners.

"I am grateful to our team for all of their expertise and the work they have done to develop the Prospectus and to all of our many stakeholders for their engagement and contribution to the plan."

When asked whether the blueprint will address the concerns that led to the initial decision to replace the SQA, a Scottish Government spokesperson said that the government would help oversee the transition.

“The creation of Qualifications Scotland and our wider reform programme will bring about the real change needed to help strengthen the national education landscape. 

“The transition process to Qualifications Scotland is being overseen by a joint Transition Board led by the Scottish Government and the SQA, which includes representatives from across the education system to provide increased oversight during this period.

“The new governance model for Qualifications Scotland will ensure the knowledge, experience and needs of pupils and teachers are central to decisions taken on qualifications and assessment.”

In response to the SQA's publication, one teachers' union said that members still want to know more about how the transformation will occur.

Mike Corbett, NASUWT Scotland National Official: “While the plan has some laudable aims, chief amongst them the desire to improve trust with teachers, it is what the new body does in practice that will determine whether or not these can be achieved.

“For example, NASUWT supports the idea of looking at 'rebalancing assessment' but, if this simply leads to excessive quality assurance of teacher judgements (as was the case with the Alternative Certification Model during the pandemic), then our members will reject it.

“Also, it is intriguing to see the plan reference Artificial Intelligence, as if it is some magical new technology that has just been discovered: NASUWT has been looking to the SQA to give teachers more practical support around pupil use of AI for some time but this has been sadly lacking.

“NASUWT and its members will seek to work constructively with the new qualifications body and looks forward to hearing much more detail of its plans soon.”