Scottish Government Announcement on N4 qualifications
Scottish Government Announcement on N4 qualifications
The National Parent Forum of Scotland welcome the announcement from Scottish Government regarding the National 4 Qualification. National 4 is a valuable and credible pathway through the senior phase and we agree that changes to the qualification would be disruptive and unnecessary.
The commitment from Scottish Government to work with ourselves to improve the parental perception of N4 is much needed and welcomed. The benefits of National 4, and how it fits in to many learning opportunities need to be explained.
Parents were confused by the interim measure of ‘Recognising Positive Achievement’, the automatic fallback to National 4 for young people who are unsuccessful at National 5 level, and this system also devalued the National 4. We are pleased there will be greater simplicity in having a clear choice between National 4 and National 5, and that it will not create further disruption to our children’s education. Teachers are well placed to decide which qualification is most appropriate for their pupils and we encourage them to communicate this fully and transparently to parents.
Today our Chair, Joanna Murphy, said:
“I am pleased Scottish Government will work on achieving a greater understanding and appreciation of the qualification as we have always had concerns that National 4 is not perceived well. There is currently too much confusion over how National 4s and 5s work; parents, pupils and employers need clear information.”
*NOTES TO EDITORS*
The National Parent Forum of Scotland is an independent, national body led by and for parents. Since its inception in 2009, it has undergone rapid development and is an influential group, working on behalf of parents across Scotland to help every pre-school and school pupil maximise their potential.
The National Parent Forum of Scotland is comprised of volunteer parent/carer representatives from across Scotland. Please visit www.parentforumscotland.org for more details.
