Created on: 05 Dec 2023
Commenting on the publication of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said:
“This PISA test data, although limited in what it can say about the quality of learning within any education system, telling only a fraction of the story, reflects aspects of the hard of work and professional commitment of teachers amidst the most challenging of circumstances in the wake of the pandemic and continuing social inequality.
"Across the OECD, average scores in reading, maths and science are lower, this pointing to the detrimental impact of the Covid pandemic on learning and the shortcomings of governmental responses to education recovery.
"Scotland’s schools and teachers continue to strive to provide the best possible learning experiences for all young people but increasingly they are swimming against a tide of cuts, which threatens now to be a tidal wave unless the Scottish Government makes different decisions on spending and revenue raising to properly fund education."
"We know that Scotland has amongst the largest average class size and highest teacher class-contact time commitments of countries within the OECD, and those are nettles that the Scottish Government will have to grasp if they are serious about delivering a better educational experience for Scotland’s young people, particularly in the wake of Covid disruption and the ongoing damage done by poverty and inequality.
"Employing more teachers in our schools would lead to smaller class sizes for pupils, and a reduction of the crippling workload demands on our teachers. This would be hugely beneficial for Scottish education, its learners and its teachers – but this requires a strong commitment and substantial additional funding from the Scottish Government if it is to meet the needs of all young people in our schools."