Scottish education in crisis as Pisa results hit record lows
Columnist John MacLeod reacts to Scotland's latest Pisa results, which show pupils have slumped to record lows in maths and reading, arguing this marks a national humiliation for a country once proud of its educational heritage. He contends the figures, alongside teacher shortages and rising classroom violence, expose the failure of successive Scottish governments, particularly the SNP, to maintain standards that once made Scotland a byword for widespread literacy and learning.
The article notes Scotland now lags behind England in several subjects and trails countries such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Lithuania and Turkey in key areas; one educationist calculated that as standalone OECD members, England would rank fifth in science and sixth in reading and maths, while Scotland would rank 16th, 11th and 21st respectively. MacLeod traces this decline against the historic strength of Scottish schooling, built on broad curricula, strong teacher training and a Presbyterian-rooted emphasis on universal literacy, while acknowledging past flaws such as corporal punishment and poorly managed transitions to comprehensive schools. He criticises Education Secretary Màiri McAllan's defence of school performance and notes that promises to fix education, made a decade ago by a former First Minister, remain unfulfilled.
In short
- Scotland's Pisa scores hit record lows in maths and reading
- Scotland now trails England and several Eastern European nations
- Columnist blames SNP governments for failing to fix schools despite past pledges
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Record-low PISA results, alongside reports of teacher shortages and classroom violence, give serious grounds to question whether successive governments have maintained educational standards. Scotland’s relative position compared with England and other countries, and the gap between current performance and its historic strengths, make demands for accountability and a credible improvement plan reasonable.
The case against
PISA results are important evidence, but they capture a limited set of outcomes at one point in time and cannot alone establish that Scotland’s education system is in crisis or identify who is responsible. Comparisons between countries and claims about decline should be weighed alongside other measures, changes in pupil circumstances and the system’s broader aims; defending progress or context need not mean dismissing the results.
Explained simply
Pisa is an international study that tests 15-year-olds in reading, maths and science, allowing education systems to be compared. Its results are one measure of how pupils are doing, alongside other evidence such as exam outcomes and classroom conditions.
Scotland has a long-standing reputation for broad access to education and strong literacy, shaped in part by the historic school system and teacher training. The article compares recent results with those in England and other countries, and sets them against concerns about teacher shortages and behaviour in classrooms.
Education policy in Scotland is set by the Scottish Government, with the education secretary responsible for the portfolio. The debate matters because schools affect young people’s opportunities and because Scotland’s results are being judged against its past record and the performance of other education systems.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “JOHN MacLEOD: From People of the Book to Curriculum for Execrable. How our politicians have failed Scotland’s children”.