Scottish government widens scope of education review

Mr Swinney said the Curriculum for Excellence will now be assessed

The Scottish government has bowed to opposition pressure and ordered a review of education to be widened.

Education secretary John Swinney has written to Holyrood's education committee announcing his decision.

Following a Conservative-led debate, parliament had called for the full review rather than just a focus on the senior phase curriculum.

Mr Swinney says the whole Curriculum for Excellence will now be examined with the findings due early next year.

In a vote in Holyrood last month, after a debate led by the Scottish Conservatives, opposition parties passed a motion calling for the review into "broad general education" - the first phase of secondary school.

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In a letter to Clare Adamson, chairwoman of the education and skills committee, Mr Swinney confirmed the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will lead the expanded review.

It will be incorporated into an ongoing investigation into the performance of the senior phase but the education secretary said the wider review will take longer to report.

'Vitally important'

Scottish Tory education spokeswoman Liz Smith welcomed the move.

She said: "John Swinney has already agreed to review the senior phase on the back of the education committee's recent report but it was very clear that this could not effectively happen without also reviewing broad general education and how the two articulate.

"It is vitally important that the issue of subject choice is central to these reviews.

"Far too many young people across Scotland are not getting the choices they both need and deserve."