the paperwork imposes a restrictive approach because people think that this is how you do it ... If you produce something on paper people think this is what we should be doing and I had hoped that the aim of was to sort of unleash the bonds to paperwork which we’ve had for many years. (Dean of Education)
Similarly, some of the parents expressed concern that the engagement process was focusing on feedback about the Draft Experiences and Outcomes. People seem to think that it [Curriculum for Excellence] probably is well engaged and has the potential to engage but what I am getting so far is that these other things such as the quality of teaching and other factors will be key here. (Parent Aberdeen)
The views highlighted that engagement with teachers was essential for Curriculum for Excellence to be effective. For this to work we need the best educators the education system could give us and if it is not there then this will go along the same route as what we have already got. (Parent, Dundee) … the actual curriculum, the whole theory, it sounds great and it does, you know, if it works it will be great, but if the teachers are not completely behind it or not so much that but don’t quite know where they’re going with it, then it really isn’t going to work properly … I feel a little bit confused about everything myself, as a parent, but if the teachers are like that, then that is a worry. (Parent, Edinburgh)
The concern over lack of engagement around pedagogy was also apparent in the views of the stakeholders representing the Voluntary Sector. So, that would be my main point that it will take a great deal of teacher training and new pedagogies to deliver this, regardless of what the outcomes say. (Voluntary Sector)
The importance of partnership working was also raised as an issue that needed greater attention. In general, parents thought that all stakeholders including employers, further education, higher education and parents themselves have a role to play in making Curriculum for Excellence a success. (Parents, Aberdeen, Edinburgh). They suggested that more information about Curriculum for Excellence could be placed on schools own websites to help parents maximise their support. Employers also raised the importance of partnership through greater engagement. They suggested that there should be space for genuine partnership between teachers, parents, career people and schools to make the curriculum not only motivating but also relevant (Employer, Dundee). The representatives from the Voluntary Sector emphasised during the focus group discussion that a continuum was needed to link learning in schools to learning in other sites. This again signals the need for partnership working to enable a 3–18 curriculum to be successful. … one of the things that strikes me is that the needs to be a continuum. It needs to be carried into lifelong learning and it needs to take those core skills, put them into that person’s employment … if you put them into work and you give them all those citizenship aspects of turning up to work and the self-esteem, they will learn better and that’s where sometimes the literacy and numeracy kicks in really well. I don’t think there’s enough focus on that…
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