CFE: Waid Academy, Scotland
“We’re making roulade and flan” I hear in a wonderfully foreign Scottish accent. I nod in blind agreement and later realize we’re making a Swiss roll and quiche. It’s all of the small things that make the Scottish school system different than ours back home. The school system has changed leaps and bound since I was a pupil here myself, and it’s interesting to see the developments.
I’ve found that the Scottish school system has adopted an education system similar to that of the Canadian school system by implementing a curriculum ironically called the CFE: “curriculum for excellence”. This CFE is supposed to transform learning and create life-long learners, and produce responsible citizens. I also have noticed a rise in teachers social-emotional teaching strategies, which used to not make the biggest appearance.
I am however, still shocked at the difference in teacher/student relationships. The students are dressed formally everyday with black bottoms, white collared shirts, black and red ties, and a full thick wool blazer with bright red piping and a wonderful school emblem that would make the boys of the Dead Poet’s Society proud. Students still sit in perfect rows and are given de-merits on their school record for bad behaviour. Punishments include writing: “I have been given this consequence because I have failed to heed a warning from my teacher and I have broken the second code of classroom behaviour. In doing this I have failed in my responsibility to provide a positive environment for myself and others. As a pupil of Waid Academy I must try to put every effort into improving both my behaviour and attitude for myself and others.” They write this paragraph 5-15 times depending on the severity of their punishment. Pupil chatter or “gabbing” is frowned upon and phones are forbidden within the classroom. Sometimes I wish I could forbid phones from my own classroom in Canada. School in Scotland is much more regimented and standardized and has made some of my classes at home look like a pack of hyenas ready for meal time. We like to call it “controlled chaos”.
The Home Economics curriculum is laid out to a T and is completely standardized. I don’t know how many times I have chatted to the Home Ec teachers in BC about how lovely it would be to have more direction for the course, and because of this I know they would be jealous of the wonderful Home Economics theory workbooks they have over here. Every part of the course is written down and listed, even fun activities make their way into it’s colourful pages. Teachers in Scotland must follow a very set Home Economics curriculum that follows the class through specific units and exams. National exams are given for both theory and practical portions of Home Ec. The students are marked originally by their actual teacher and then again by a reviser who marks the exams again to check for consistency within the marking. Theory is given to the students often and makes up over half of the course. Students must write everything by hand in full, comprehensive essay format. This results in much better printing skills than Canadian students I have observed and puts my own handwriting to shame. I wish my own students would have sat down to do theory with so little fuss.
Assessment is similar to what I have been using in Summerland, as it is still a six point scale with three basic levels of understanding. At SSS we were using Myron Dueck’s “grading smarter, not harder” and refering to students as a Novice (1-2, 0-49%), Apprentice (3-4, 50-85%), or an Expert (86-100%). Here in Anstruther, they also mark at a six point scale: The “How Good is my Progress” scale which starts at a red (5-6) at the lowest level of understanding, a green (3-4) at the middle and average level of understanding, and a blue (1-2) at the height of understanding. Percentages within those levels are determined from a national standpoint with each different exam. Students are graded on the curve and only a certain number of students can receive an ‘A’ every exam. I feel as BC moves away from curriculum standardization, Scotland moves toward it.
Overall, my first week in Scotland has been a sublime learning experience. My “sponsor teachers” have been more than welcoming, continue to be kind and and generous, and are simply Scottishly wonderful. Even with the staffroom seating plan and assigned coffee cups, the other teachers have been welcoming and accepting. I look forward to continuing my experience among the rolling heathered hills and overly woolly sheep.