Lead role for Learning and Teaching Scotland confirmed by Scottish Government
This follows an announcement by the Scottish Government in January 2008 as part of its Public Service Reform that public bodies, including LTS, were to be reviewed to create a clearer, simpler and more effective public sector. A fundamental strategic review of LTS has been conducted over the past 20 months, involving consultation with over 40 public service organisations concerned with education.
The Government has set out a core remit for LTS, which builds on the organisation’s strong track record in delivering significant education reform, including its key role in Curriculum for Excellence and the implementation of Glow in all 32 local authorities.
LTS will also have a number of generic core responsibilities which will ensure that the organisation’s work contributes towards delivering the Scottish Government’s strategic objectives
The core remit is:-
Curriculum – to keep the curriculum 3 – 18 under review and provide advice and support, including quality assured resources, on the curriculum 3 – 18 to Ministers and the education system;
Assessment – to provide advice and support to Ministers and the education system on assessment to support learning, with support from SQA as appropriate, and to work with SQA to ensure the availability of quality assured resources to support assessment;
Glow and ICT in schools – to provide advice and support to Ministers and the education system on the use of ICT to support education, to establish and maintain technology standards for education, to ensure practitioners have easy online access to advice and support, including digital resources and to manage the provision of the national ICT infrastructure to support education, currently Glow, the LTS Online Service and the local authority Interconnect.
There are a number of other areas that LTS may work with other partners, perhaps leading on certain elements, to ensure effective provision, including research and intelligence gathering, professional development and the sharing of good practice.
There will also be, from time to time, further areas of work that LTS may contribute to or lead on, by agreement with the Scottish Government. As part of this, LTS is happy to work with the Scottish Government to implement its recent recommendation from the strategic review of Learning Connections that the practice development and policy implementation functions and staff involved be transferred to LTS, with a representative advisory body to oversee its work.
COSLA will have an enhanced role through an annual discussion with LTS about setting of the priorities for the organisation. In addition COSLA will nominate a representative as Observer to provide advice to the LTS Board.
Keith Brown, Minister for Schools and Skills, said: “These findings clearly indicate that there is a need for a national body that provides schools with guidance, support and advice on matters related to learning and teaching, the curriculum, assessment and ICT. This is all the more relevant as we take forward Curriculum for Excellence and as the use and importance of Glow, the national schools intranet, increases. I believe that a restructured LTS with a more focused remit is well positioned to undertake this role.”
John Mulgrew, Chair of LTS, welcomed the endorsement from the Scottish Government.
He said: “A rigorous review of Learning and Teaching Scotland has taken place and I am delighted that the outcome acknowledges that LTS plays a challenging, high profile and influential role within Scottish education. We will respond positively to this outcome that recognises us as a flexible, responsive and effective organisation.
“The involvement of key stakeholders in this Review has been exceedingly beneficial in helping us to deliver a quality service both at a local and national level.
“Our highly skilled professional staff are positive and adaptive to change. As an organisation we look forward to working with the Scottish Government and other partners to deliver an education system that supports the needs of Scotland in the 21st century.”
Bernard McLeary, Chief Executive of LTS, said: “Our strong model of partnership working and track record of successfully delivering improvements to education has undoubtedly contributed significantly to the positive outcome of the review.
“At LTS we are unique in our approach and our main aim is to support a first class education system for a modern Scotland. Following on from this review we will continue to harness the considerable expertise and energies of our staff to lead on key aspects of education reform.
“We remain highly proactive in working with partners and identifying partnership prospects which will be to the benefit of Scotland’s education system. Through this we will work to achieve successful delivery of our many programmes of work, including our part in contributing towards the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence, the national assessment framework and continuing to lead on education innovation and technology.”
Dr Janet Brown, SQA Chief Executive, said: "We've worked closely and well with LTS in the past and will continue to do so. With work continuing on Curriculum for Excellence, this is a particularly important and exciting time for everyone involved in Scottish education. We look forward to further developing our professional relationship with LTS, particularly on assessment and qualifications matters."
David Cameron, President of the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES), said: “ADES welcomes the conclusion of the review of Learning and Teaching Scotland. We are in a period of development and change in Scottish education and we need the capacity to ensure that this leads to improvement. We need to concentrate resources and share expertise and LTS can play a major role in making this happen.
“We welcome the increased clarity of purpose and the greater focus which the review will bring. We also welcome the closer relationship with COSLA. This emphasises the need for an even closer relationship with local authorities and we look forward to supporting that. Everyone involved in Scottish education faces considerable challenges at present if we are to see the best practice in our schools become common practice and we look forward to a revitalised Learning and Teaching Scotland playing a key role in that.”
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For more information contact:
Kirsten Blackie
Learning and Teaching Scotland
T: 0141 282 5036 M: 07535 657 117
Notes for Editors:
1. Learning and Teaching Scotland is the lead organisation involved in the development and support of the Scottish curriculum and is at the heart of all major developments in Scottish education www.LTScotland.org.uk
2. Over the past 12 months, LTS has made a significant contribution to Scottish education. Notable achievements include the launch of the Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes and the rolling out of Glow, the Scottish schools intranet that is managed by LTS, across all 32 local authority areas.
3. International education has been a main focal point for LTS in 2008/09. The creation of Confucius Classroom hubs, following a partnership between LTS and Hanban - the Office of Chinese Language Council International - allows pupils across the country to learn more about the language and culture of China.