Jenny Gilruth during a school visit in the Falkirk region (Image: Michael Gillen)
Currently, there are 1,000 fewer educators in our educational institutions compared to the count in 2007, along with a reduction of 263 physical school buildings.
These figures are not a whimsical creation devised by teaching unions to alarm the government into allocating more resources towards schools and teachers’ salaries.
Rather, they serve as a stark representation of the condition of Scottish education, which is undeniably facing a crisis.
With the precarious state of Scottish education, once renowned globally for its excellence, one would expect the individual in charge, a former Modern Studies teacher, to swiftly introduce urgent strategies to address the situation.
However, despite these expectations, the education secretary, Jenny Gilruth, seems more focused on advocating for independence, repeating the mantra of independence as her primary agenda.
Recently, following the disclosure of a record number of students abandoning traditional education, Gilruth did release a document outlining her vision for education and continual learning in an independent Scotland.
Regrettably, this document reads more like a work of fiction detached from reality, lacking substantial proposals to tackle the pressing issues at hand.
A useful method to evaluate the depth of any policy document is to refer to the ‘easy read’ version, which simplifies governmental papers for broader accessibility while retaining essential information.
However, Gilruth’s idealistic vision fails to offer concrete solutions. It vaguely mentions extended maternity leave for mothers, enhanced flexibility in the student loan system, and the potential reinstatement of the Erasmus+ exchange program for Scottish students.
While Erasmus+ facilitates student exchanges abroad, benefiting a modest number of Scots in the past, Gilruth’s paper falls short in addressing the immediate concerns of the 700,000 current school students, especially the 230,000 who frequently skip classes.
In a surprising turn of events, the education secretary recently backtracked on the SNP’s 2021 pledge to equip every student in Scotland with a laptop or similar digital tool, attributing this decision to the UK government, despite education being under full devolved authority.
It is concerning when senior officials fail to uphold their commitments, opting instead to produce unrealistic reports that squander valuable resources that could be utilized to resolve existing issues. Jenny Gilruth’s actions warrant criticism.
In response to reports indicating that one-third of students exhibit persistent absenteeism, Gilruth acknowledged the issue as ‘unacceptable’ but shifted the responsibility to Scotland’s chief inspector for education to address the problem during school inspections.
Jenny, there is an ongoing crisis in our educational system, and as the person in charge, it is imperative to focus on the present reality rather than indulging in speculative visions of the future.