HC Deb 02 March 1989 vol 148 cc276-9W
Mr. Allan Stewart

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the introduction of standard grade examinations and the consequent withdrawal of O grade examinations and traditional forms of examination in higher grade and certificate of sixth-year studies.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Eighty per cent. of pupils currently in their fourth year of secondary school in Scotland will be presented in one or more subjects at standard grade this year. This is a most encouraging figure. Teaching materials selected and prepared by central support groups and core groups have now largely been distributed for all subjects in phases 1 to 3 and any remaining materials will be circulated during the current school year. Notes for principal teachers, a manual for headteachers and a revised brochure for pupils and parents have also been produced. Assistance to education authorities for equipping schools for standard grade, especially in science and technological subjects, has been included in capital expenditure allocations amounting to date to £6 million. A further £3.3 million will be available to education authorities for this purpose in 1989–90, an increase of one third on the sum notified to them last year as likely to be available. Details will be given to education authorities shortly.

In view of these developments, it is now appropriate to set firm dates for the withdrawal of certain O grade and traditional higher and CSYS examinations. The timetable will be as follows: as previously announced, the last O grade examinations in metalwork and woodwork will be held in 1989. The last O grade examinations in subjects covered in phases 1 and 2 of the standard grade development programme, will be held in 1991. The last O grade examinations in subjects included in phase 3 of the standard grade development programme will be held in 1992.

The last O grade examinations in subjects for which no standard grade is being developed will be held in 1992. Dates for the last O grade examinations in subjects included in the standard grade development programme after phase 3 will be announced in due course. In every case there will be a limited O grade examination in the immediately following year open only to those resitting the subject.

Pupils normally sit highers one or two years after O grade. Accordingly, the last traditionally higher grade examinations in subjects where the higher is being revised to articulate with standard grade will be held two years after the last O grade examination. Similarly, the last higher grade examination in subjects where the higher grade is being discontinued will be held two years after the last O grade examination except for metalwork and woodwork where the last higher grade examination will be held in 1990. Again, in every case there will be a restricted examination in the immediately following year for candidates resitting the subject.

The CSYS is normally taken one year after higher. Consultation has confirmed, however, that in some cases it will be as acceptable for candidates to proceed to revise CSYS from traditional higher as from revised higher. Accordingly, the last traditional CSYS examinations in English, French and Latin will be held in 1990. Dates for the withdrawal of other traditional CSYS examinations will be announced in due course. No resits are available for CSYS.

Details of these arrangements are set out in the table, along with a list of new courses which have been or are being developed or about the development of which consultation will take place.

Withdrawal of O grades

Last examination 1989

  • Metalwork
  • Woodwork

Last examination 1991

  • Arithmetic
    • 278
  • Art and Design
  • Computing
  • Craft and Design
  • English
  • French
  • Home Economics
  • Latin
  • Mathematics

Last examination 1992

  • Agricultural Science
  • Anatomy, Physiology and Health
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Economic History
  • Engineering
  • Gaelic
  • Geography
  • Geology
  • German
  • Hebrew
  • History
  • Horticultural Science
  • Italian
  • Modern Studies
  • Music
  • Navigation
  • Norwegian
  • Physics
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Seamanship and Nautical Knowledge
  • Secretarial Studies
  • Spanish Statistics
  • Swedish

Last examination after 1992

  • Accounting
  • Classical Studies
  • Economics
  • Greek
  • Religious Studies
  • Technical Drawing

Withdrawal of traditional highers

Last examination 1990

  • Metalwork1
  • Woodwork1

Last examination 1993

  • Art and Design
  • Craft and Design
  • English
  • French
  • Home Economics
  • Latin
  • Mathematics

Last examination 1994

  • Agricultural Science1
  • Anatomy, physiology and Health
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Economic History1
  • Engineering1
  • Gaelic
  • Geography
  • German
  • Hebrew1
  • History
  • Horticultural Science1
  • Italian
  • Modern Studies
  • Music
  • Navigation1
  • Norwegian1
  • Physics
  • Portuguese1
  • Russian
  • Secretarial Studies1
    • 279
  • Spanish
  • Swedish1

Last examination after 1994

  • Accounting
  • Economics
  • Greek
  • Religious
  • Studies
  • Technical Drawing

1Indicates subjects where no revised higher will be available.

Withdrawal of traditional CSYS

Last Examination 1990

  • English
  • French
  • Latin
  • Dates for other subjects have still to be set.

New Courses Developed, in Process of Development, or to be considered for development

Standard Grade

Phase 1

  • Science
  • Social and Vocational Skills

Phase 2

Contemporary Social Studies

Phase 3

  • Office and Information Studies
  • Physical Education
  • Technological Studies

Later Phases

  • Accounting and Finance
  • Drama

Higher Grade

  • Accounting and Finance
  • Classical Studies
  • Computing Studies
  • Drama
  • Management and Information Studies
  • Science (consultation stage only)
  • Technological Studies

CSYS

  • Accounting and Finance
  • Computing Studies
  • Craft and Design (consultation stage only)
  • Management and Information Studies
  • Music (consultation stage only)
  • Religious Studies
  • Technological Studies