Mairi McAllan declines invite to Scottish Tories education summit chaired by Michael Gove
The Scottish Conservatives have invited Mairi McAllan to their education summit chaired by Michael Gove
Mairi McAllan has been challenged to attend an education summit hosted by Michael Gove.
At the invitation of the Scottish Conservatives, the former education secretary will chair a roundtable event to discuss what Scotland might learn from England’s education system.
Asked by Meghan Gallacher, the Scottish Tory education spokeswoman, if she would attend, Ms McAllan was equivocal.
The Scottish education secretary said: “I am very open-minded and pragmatic to working with anyone who, like me, can recognise and celebrate the vast successes of our system, but are keen always to push for improvement.
“So I am very happy to work across the piece.
“I have to say, and I did reflect this when Mr Gove and I were on The Sunday Show on the BBC last week, that whilst I am keen to work with anyone, the architects of conservative austerity, which our schools are grappling with the effects of so much, would not be top of my priority list.”
Ms McAllan gave a statement to the Holyrood chamber on the recent PISA education results.
The global rankings showed a decline in Scots pupils’ reading and maths abilities but a slight increase in science.
Results also showed a narrowing of the attainment gap, hailed as a success by the Scottish Government.
Ms McAllan said: “We also recorded a significant weakening in the relationship between learners’ socio-economic background and performance, particularly in reading.
“Indeed, for reading, results demonstrate this link is being broken down more than in any previous PISA cycle.
“More than at any point since 2000, deprivation is increasingly being overcome when it comes to
Scottish attainment in literacy.”
However, the figures show the gap narrowed only because well off pupils have seen their attainment drop, rather than poorer pupils attainment increase.
Ms Gallacher MSP said: “Mairi McAllan’s statement was full of delusion and denial.
“It told you everything you need to know about the SNP’s approach to education - ideology comes before better results.
“I have invited Michael Gove to Scotland because I want to learn from what worked in England and explore what we can do better here.”
Ms Gallacher pointed to England’s expansion of its academies schools programme, knowledge-based curriculum and phonics screening to improve literacy.
“But apparently, Mairi McAllan would rather shut the door because she doesn’t like who he is,” she added.
“After years of the SNP overseeing falling standards, Scotland’s pupils deserve an Education Secretary who is willing to put politics aside, listen to new ideas and do whatever it takes to raise attainment.
“I’ll take every opportunity to learn from successful reforms.
“I hope Mairi McAllan will eventually do the same.”
Scottish Labour Education spokesperson Katherine Sangster said: “While I welcome the SNP recognising that changes are needed, the Government's response today still reeks of complacency.
“Since the release of the Pisa results, the Cabinet Secretary has been at pains to emphasise that these figures are just one part of the picture.
“It is because of the Scottish Government’s failure to gather objective data that we cannot see the full picture Mairi McAllan so desperately wants us to see.
“We need the SNP to match their rhetoric of reform with real ambition to fully understand the underlying problems – starting by working with experts to establish what data we need – so we can move forward with the solutions our schools and young people desperately need.”
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