YouthLink Scotland welcomes the OECD report about Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), as an opportunity to intensify progress towards achieving excellence and equity in education.

Launching the report this morning, Beatriz Pont of the OECD said: “Curriculum for Excellence is everyone’s responsibility.” We could not agree more. As part of Scotland’s education system, we look forward to working with education partners to support the implementation of the OECD recommendations.

The Scottish Government last year commissioned the OECD to carry out a review of CfE, which the youth work sector had an opportunity to contribute to. The remit of the review was to help better understand how the curriculum is being designed and implemented in schools and to identify areas for improvement across the country.

Commenting on the review, Tim Frew, CEO of YouthLink Scotland said:

“We were particularly encouraged by the recommendation to re-assess the balance of CfE, so learners can fully benefit from a whole learning experience from 3-to-18. We agree that young people should have the fullest opportunities to achieve the knowledge, skills and competencies they need.

“It’s important the curriculum contributes as effectively as possible to the future of all young people in Scotland, we must fully embrace the range of practitioners (including youth workers) who are involved in its delivery and truly value the totality of a young person’s learning across both formal and non-formal settings.

“This should also be coherent across school and community settings. Youth work will therefore continue to play an important role in ensuring a proper balance between breadth and depth in the curriculum, providing opportunities for personal learning and achievement, pathways for progression and supporting learners to engage with education.

“Greater clarity and value over the roles and responsibilities of those who plan and deliver CfE will help us ensure that young people are at the centre of CfE over the next 10 years. This is particularly crucial in the context of UNCRC incorporation, as we consider what a right to education in its fullest sense should look like. We look forward to working with all educational agencies and partners to build on the strengths of CfE and make improvements.

You can read the OECD’s full report and recommendations here