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Implications
The role of the teacher
Scottish Ministers have increasingly emphasised the value they place on the professionalism and commitment of teachers in Scotland. We have a motivated and well-trained workforce which is being asked to embrace a shift away from prescription about the detail of the curriculum and towards more responsibility for professional judgement and creativity within broader parameters.
If we are to be successful in our aim of preparing young people for the challenges of the future, we will rely even more on individual teachers' commitment to refreshing and updating their own professional skills and knowledge.
There will be implications both for initial teacher education and continuing professional development. Aspects are likely to include developing understanding of new models of the curriculum and using new guidance, updating subject and thematic knowledge, new approaches to learning and teaching, and leadership at all levels. Teacher education institutions, LTS, education authorities, school managers and individual teachers will all have roles to play in taking this forward.
Leadership
A Curriculum for Excellence places increased expectations on the leadership of schools. As at present, headteachers and other leaders will need to ensure that children and young people experience a consistently high quality of learning and teaching. They will be in a central position to support professional dialogue and debate about the curriculum. They will also have opportunities to be creative in curriculum design, learning from evidence of practice, within clear parameters for flexibility.
Guidance for teachers
Following the period of engagement, existing curriculum guidelines will be replaced by streamlined guidance. Instead of separate guidance for different stages and sectors we will produce a single framework 3 to 18. It will draw upon the best of existing guidelines for 3 to 5 and 5-14. Guidance on broad aims of the curriculum will also extend to age 18, complementing SQA Arrangements Documents.
The guidance will specify only what needs to be specified. The level of detail will be matched to the need for specificity - so, for example, we can expect that there will be detailed advice on progression in literacy and numeracy. We have not yet identified the best form of presentation for guidance, but we will seek teachers' views as part of the engagement process and we want to take full advantage of the potential of ICT to make guidance accessible in different ways for different purposes.
Reflective question 7
What are the implications for teachers of specifying only what needs to be specified?
Improvement framework
Frameworks for improvement and accountability will need to reflect and support the expectations of A Curriculum for Excellence.
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