The Destruction of the Scottish Canon
2 days ago
- Scotland's 2011 Curriculum for Excellence abandoned knowledge-rich content for general skills, part of a global trend seen in France, Sweden, England, and others.
- The 'Great Tradition' of Scottish education emphasized a common course with systematic knowledge, deep literary study, and high expectations, leading to top international rankings.
- Skills-based reforms in Scotland and elsewhere have led to declines in literacy, numeracy, and increased socioeconomic inequality, contrary to their goals.
- The reforms persist due to ideological alignment between left-wing progressives and free-market advocates, institutional capture, and influence from OECD/Bourdieu reports.
- Countries that retained knowledge-rich curricula (e.g., Singapore, Estonia, Japan) outperformed Scotland, which now trails England and others in international assessments.