The Scottish Government has rejected calls to scrap S4 exams, with Education Minister Jenny Gilruth distancing herself from a landmark review commissioned by her predecessors in the wake of the Covid exams crisis. 

The minister said that while there would be greater use of continuous assessment when it comes to awarding final grades in the senior phase, tests will remain for most pupils at National 5.

The Scottish Greens described it as a "missed opportunity" to move on from a "Victorian-era exam system".

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Professor Louise Hayward, who led the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment (IRQA), recommended that 15 and 16-year-olds be graded on coursework as well as other areas including volunteering as part of a “Scottish Diploma of Achievement”.

The report by the academic, who specialises in educational assessment and innovation at the University of Glasgow, came out in June last year, and the Scottish Government's response has been long-awaited.

In her statement to Holyrood, Ms Gilruth said examinations would “remain part of our overall national approach".

She said: “I know from direct engagement as Cabinet Secretary that many young people prefer examinations over continuous assessment. 

“And, as evidenced by the teacher’s survey published earlier this year, many secondary school teachers who responded support the retention of exams as a means of applying a consistent and objective standard.”

The minister said there would be a number of practical courses where an exam “might not be needed” including fashion and cookery, 

Ms Gilruth said there needed to be a “degree of rationalisation of the senior phase” for pupils to “allow us to ensure clearer, pathways, which are less confusing for young people.”

The minister said the government was committed to reforming qualifications but that it had to be done in partnership with teachers, pupils and other professional bodies. 

She also said it would be wrong to "narrowly consider the Senior Phase of our children’s education within a silo" and that she would "set out a fresh national approach to educational improvement later this year".

"Our approach to improving education must be built on the existing commitment and professionalism of Scotland’s teachers," the minister said.

She also announced a series of regional events to consult with headteachers to "provide further opportunities to test a more focussed improvement plan for both local and national Government to support".

Professor Hayward welcomed the statement but said the need for reform was urgent.

“Young people’s voices were central to the work of the Review and the majority of young people were calling for change.

"Many described experiences in the senior school phase that were dominated by preparation for exams, past papers, prelims, memorising chunks of text or prepared answers. Some young people were insufficiently challenged, many were stressed and demoralised.

"Others felt excluded, believing their achievements were neither valued nor recognised. We live in a very challenging financial context and learners and parents, teachers and lecturers, schools and colleges will need time and support for change to be successful."

Children and Young People’s Commissioner Nicola Killean agreed. She said the government was taking "tentative steps" towards reform.  

“Within the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is a clear obligation on the State to provide all children with an education that develops them to their fullest potential; mind, body, personality, and talents.

"This should be the fundamental purpose of our education system. Too many children's and young people’s needs are not being met in our current system.” 

Scottish Greens education spokesperson Ross Greer said there was little change being offered by the government.

He said: “The Scottish Greens have long argued for more use of continuous assessment, rather than the high-stakes end-of-term exam system we’ve had since the Victorian era.

"I’m glad that, four years on from our party securing this review, continuous assessments will now come into regular use in Scotland’s schools. 

“The problem with today’s announcement is that little else will change. These assessments will be added to an already creaking system, rather than replace some exams as we had proposed.

"That leaves me seriously concerned about teacher workload.

“My fear is that today will go down as a missed opportunity. We could have taken our exams system out of the Victorian era by embracing Professor Hayward’s bold proposals in full.

"I can’t help but feel that five or ten years from now, we will be back here, regretting that the Hayward reforms weren’t embraced at the time."

Scottish Labour Education spokesperson Pam Duncan-Glancy said: “There is huge demand for reform, but today’s announcements don’t come close to delivering the level of ambition needed.

“The SNP has no bold new vision for education and it has failed to give teachers and pupils the certainty they need.

“There are countless questions left unanswered after this empty announcement.

“Scotland’s pupils, teachers and parents have been betrayed once again by chaotic and clueless SNP government.”

Scottish Conservative shadow education secretary Liam Kerr said: “Education experts have been crying out for a long-term vision from the SNP but this statement completely fails to deliver one.

“Since the Cabinet Secretary has chosen to ignore experts’ calls, it’s hard to have any confidence that her piecemeal approach will deliver the outcomes that need to happen."

Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association (SSTA) General Secretary, Seamus Searson, welcomed the government's approach.

"The statement maps a way forward in making the cultural changes required in secondary schools in regard national qualifications and a teacher led continuous assessment.

"Many SSTA members will be pleased to hear there will be an element of external assessment at Nat 5 in the short-term and that any future developments will be trialled and piloted before implementation.

"The SSTA equally welcomes the importance placed by the Cabinet Secretary on schoolteachers at the centre and leading the changes necessary for creating an education system for the future.”

Teachers' union the EIS said the Scottish Government response to the review whilst somewhat reflecting a few of the key aspirations of the Hayward Review recommendations, stops short of being the comprehensive and committed response that the teaching profession had hoped for.

General Secretary Andrea Bradley said: “The EIS welcomes the general tone of some elements of the Cabinet Secretary’s statement on the Hayward Review today. Concerns over the annual two-term dash to qualifications through exams are a long-standing issue, particularly with regard to the impact on young people from less advantaged backgrounds, as is the lack of parity of esteem between ‘academic’ and ‘vocational’ qualifications. Today’s long-awaited statement does not go far enough to remove these concerns or to map out a clear route towards a better future for the Senior Phase of the kind envisaged by the Hayward Review. We need to do more as a country in support of our young people and our educators.”