This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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SQA reforms proposed
12/10/2001
Reform of the Scottish Qualifications Authority was
outlined in a draft bill published today.
Last month, Education Minister Jack McConnell announced
that the SQA would be retained as an Executive
Non-Departmental Public Body but would be subject to
reform. The Executive has now published draft legislation
and seeks the views of education stakeholders on the detail
of that proposed reform.
Welcoming publication of the bill, Mr McConnell
said:
"There is a clear consensus on the need to maintain
stability at the SQA. But there is also widespread
agreement that the governance and management of the
organisation needs to be re-examined. That message was
clear from both Parliamentary Committee inquiries into the
SQA and is the view of the key players in Scottish
education.
"So today I have set out our proposals for legislative
and other changes to ensure that the SQA is properly
accountable and capable of effectively managing its own
development. At the heart of these proposals is our
commitment to providing the best possible qualification
system for all candidates in Scotland: these changes will
help the SQA work with schools, colleges, employers and
others to deliver that system.
"These measures - a smaller, more focused Board, a new
Advisory Council of stakeholders, a revised Management
Statement and Financial Memorandum, and more rigorous
planning requirements - will clarify the roles and
responsibilities of the SQA and the other stakeholders in
the Scottish exams system, and provide a firm foundation
for the delivery of successful exam rounds year on year in
the future.
"Better governance of the SQA should raise confidence in
the organisation's ability to deliver. This should in turn
give schools and colleges the confidence to concentrate on
ensuring that the talents, needs and abilities of every
student are recognised and that every student reaches his
or her potential in whatever they do, without having to
worry that their results may be inaccurate."
BACKGROUND
1. Mr McConnell outlined his plans for the SQA's future
in Parliament on 13 September.
2. The draft bill will be issued to schools, colleges,
teachers associations and parents groups, among others.
Recipients will be invited to indicate an interest in
attending one of a small number of seminars in Edinburgh,
Glasgow and Inverness to discuss the proposals. The
consultation process ends on 23 November 2001.
- All comments, and requests for copies of the draft
bill, should be sent to: Tom Collin, Qualifications,
Assessment and Curriculum Division, Scottish Executive
Education Department, Area 2-A, Victoria Quay,
Edinburgh EH6 6QQ or e-mail:
sqa.bill@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.