Legislation to create a new national qualifications body and an independent inspectorate of schools and other educational providers has been published.
The Education (Scotland) Bill includes provisions to replace the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) with a new national qualifications body, Qualifications Scotland.
If passed by the Scottish Parliament, the legislation will also establish the office of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education in Scotland, with enhanced independence, to undertake the education inspection functions which currently sit within Education Scotland.
While not part of the Bill provisions, Education Scotland’s role as the national education agency is also to be refocussed as part of the reform process – including taking a lead on curriculum design, delivery and improvement which will cover the provision of resources to support high quality learning and teaching.