Scotsman bemoans loss of respect for teaching, learning

Violence and verbal abuse against teachers at a new high; English schools outperforming Scottish ones; tens of thousands of pupils in Scotland failing to master basic literacy and numeracy skills by the age of 14: just a few of the headlines in the Scottish press this year. Whatever has happened to our reputation in education, and the respect we had for teaching and for learning?

For as long as I can remember, a Scottish education was held to be one of the finest in the world. We seemed to recognize earlier than most that learning was not simply a refining grace, but a vital ladder to a better life. And through that recognition, our teachers enjoyed a standing and regard that seemed timeless and unassailable. How did we let slip this prize and end up with a system beset with decline? It now battles with a relentless change and convulsion that has turned much of a teacher’s life into mesmerizing form-filling over targets, budgets and quotas. Read Bill Jamieson’s opinion piece in The Scotsman.