Tory grandee Michael Gove has offered to assist Scottish National Party (SNP) ministers in improving the country's school system, suggesting that England's educational strategies could provide valuable insights. Gove, a former UK Education Secretary, stated that Scottish children have been negatively impacted by "ideological fads" and increasing classroom indiscipline under the SNP's governance.
In an article for The Times, the Aberdonian peer expressed his belief that Scottish schools could regain their "reputation for excellence" if the Scottish Government were to alter its approach. He suggested that "a wee bit of humility on the part of the Scottish Government" would be necessary.
Scotland's recent performance in international assessments, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), has shown a decline. The latest PISA study indicated that 15-year-old Scottish pupils' abilities in reading and mathematics have reached an all-time low, although their performance in science saw an improvement since the 2022 study. Scottish pupils now trail their English counterparts by six months in reading and over a year in science and mathematics.
First Minister John Swinney faced criticism after describing the PISA results as indicative of an "essentially stable" education system. Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay characterized the SNP's stance as "typically close-minded and petty," while praising Gove's offer as "welcome." Findlay credited Gove with transforming English schools during the period he asserts the SNP was "sabotaging the prospects of a generation of young Scots by trashing Scottish education."
Lord Gove proposed collaborating with Scottish Education Secretary Màiri McAllan and Public Service Reform Secretary Ivan McKee. He conveyed his profound sadness that Scottish pupils are less proficient in literacy, numeracy, and science than their English peers, attributing this not to the students' abilities or teachers' efforts, but to political factors. Gove also highlighted concerns about Scottish children being "taught less about the world around them" and the presence of unruly classrooms, citing a "behaviour crisis" where disruptive students cannot be adequately managed or excluded.
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A spokesperson for McAllan responded to the offer, stating that while the Cabinet Secretary engages with various individuals on educational matters, meeting "one of the key architects of Tory austerity will not be at the top of that list."
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