SCOTLAND’s schools inspectorate has attracted fresh criticism after spending nearly £100,000 on 79 foreign trips in the last three years.
Education Scotland, which was the subject of a critical Holyrood motion last week, allowed staff to visit locations such as Indonesia, Malawi and Turkey.
The government agency, formed in 2011, has a dual function of inspecting schools and of helping implement the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE).
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However, a committee of MSPs criticised the body recently over the 20,000 pages of CfE guidance it issued, which was described as an “unnecessary burden on the teaching profession”.
Holyrood's Education and Skills committee also concluded that the number of inspections carried out “appeared to be reducing”.
MSPs then backed a motion noting evidence that “many teachers have lost confidence” in the agency and the Scottish Qualifications Authority.
Education Scotland is now facing scrutiny over its “international strategy” and its use of public money to send staff to dozens of foreign conferences and events.
The total bill for the 79 trips - around £96,000 - covered travel, conference fees, accommodation, meals and subsistence, although in some cases external organisations picked up part of the tab.
In 2013/14, Education Scotland staff travelled to countries including Norway, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Turkey, Denmark, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Malawi, Romania and Malta.
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A trip by an unnamed employee to Indonesia in the same year cost £3,766, while chief executive Bill Maxwell stayed in Malawi for seven nights.
In 2014/15, staff were off to places including France, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Estonia, the US, Germany, the United Arab Emirates and South Korea.
In the last financial year, another twenty-four trips were funded, including three staff staying ten nights in Malawi at a total cost of £10,219.
The Education Scotland website states: “Our international strategy provides an overarching framework to integrate international considerations into existing programmes of work across Education Scotland. It signals our very clear intent that international issues should not be an add-on or afterthought.”
Scottish Conservative shadow education secretary Liz Smith said: “Organisations like Education Scotland will always benefit from learning from other systems across the world, but this has to be kept in moderation, especially at a time when money is tight. Many parents would prefer agencies like this got on with improving standards here, rather than spending tens of thousands on foreign travel.”
Labour MSP Iain Gray said: "Whilst there is a place for fact-finding trips to other countries on occasion, right now Education Scotland as a body is losing the confidence of teachers and parents fast and this will do nothing to win it back. John Swinney has an inbox that is piling up with problems but he needs to ensure that. at a time of increasing pressure and spending cuts, that Education Scotland is providing value for money."
A spokesperson for Education Scotland said: "Overseas travel, in line with our international strategy, is undertaken by Education Scotland staff for a variety of reasons, including in support of our roles on the Standing International Conference of Inspectorates, the Consortium of Institutions for Development and Research in Education in Europe, and other specialist practitioner international networks. Many of our visits are fully funded by our partnership work with the British Council.
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“Each trip is carefully assessed before being approved to ensure it will deliver value to Education Scotland's specialist knowledge, and the Scottish education system.”
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