Education has much to work on
THOSE hoping to use Education Scotland's investigation as a stick with which to beat the Education Department will be sorely disappointed.
As has been seen with its reviews of individual schools Education Scotland does not do that sort of report.
Scathing quotes, alarming statistics, forthright condemnation are absent to be replaced by a measured series of point and counter-point almost devoid of a subjective voice.
Which is not to say that the Scotland-based inspectors have gone easy on the Education Department, rather that the tone is more one of encouragement than condemnation of failures.
It is not a glowing report. Six out of 11 quality bandings are Satisfactory, where strengths just outweigh weaknesses. Two others are worse and are graded Weak, where strengths are undermined by important weaknesses.
On the plus side there are no Unsatisfactories, where immediate action is required, but, equally, the best Education gets is three Goods, which leaves much room for improvement.
Overall, to use old-fashioned terminology, the department seems to be a C+ – trying hard but with quite some way to go.
Particular failings are in how it deals with parents, carers and families. People want to know how their children are doing and Education must get better in engaging at all levels.
As part of that it is clear that the closure of schools has rocked many parents' confidence in the department and islanders want more time and information if a school is under threat.
Education Scotland is at its most forthright in criticising the treatment of children with special needs and calls for urgent action to ensure that all staff are trained to take responsibility for their schooling, not just specialists.
The overall aim, as was clear in the report on Le Murier, is to make the island pay more than lip service to inclusive education.
That aside, few businesses would survive unscathed from such a strategic inspection and the department gains much credit for its ambition and vision, the improvement in exam grades and its efforts to track pupils' progress.
A far better understanding of the report's value and the direction and speed of travel will be seen in two years' time, when Education Scotland returns.
