The twin deficits of education in devolved, SNP-controlled Scotland

Author: Stephen Bailey. Published: 6 March 2024

Before New Labour’s introduction of legislative devolution in the late 1990s, Scotland had earned a reputation as a well-educated part of the UK. Historically, Scotland had encouraged its citizens to get themselves educated, and this trend was strongly encouraged by Calvinism and its emphasis on mass erudition after the Reformation and also by the impetus that the Union with England gave to the development of North Briton after 1707. As a consequence, Scotland produced several world-leading thinkers, scientists and others who added much to the improvement of the condition of man generally and to improving the development of Britain (and later the UK) into an advanced and stable democracy and society. It should be noted, however, that there’s a serious risk of falling into the error of believing in Scottish exceptionalism, thinking you’re greater than others. The idea that Scotland once had the best education system in the world is typical of the current SNP mindset and outlook.

This trend of progress and advancement has, over the last quarter of a century of the devolution era, witnessed an extremely concerning reversal in two ways:

First, the mass indoctrination of the young by SNP ideologues, dumbing down the intellect of the younger generations.

Second, the precipitous decline in educational standards and achievement since the SNP became the dominant force at Holyrood after 2007.

It’s clear that it’s the malign influence of the SNP on the Scottish education system that has resulted in a calamitous drop in educational standards in Scotland.

There’s now a generation of young UK citizens who have grown up and had their formative experiences and influences since the introduction of legislative devolution in the late 1990s. They have lived their entire life under the current constitutional arrangements and the subsequent constitutional crisis it has provoked, never knowing anything different.

Neither have they been made aware of the real issues that lie behind the UK Constitution and a desire to keep the UK together. They have had anti-UK nationalist extremists bombard them with skewed propaganda that manipulates them into a distorted, historically inaccurate view that to be patriotic they have to hate the UK.

They are being forced down a path that could eventually lead to independence, and they are being deprived of any kind of balanced outlook.

One method the SNP has employed to achieve their objective of separating Scotland from the rest of the UK is to indoctrinate the young with biased propaganda through their education that distorts the truth behind UK history and pushes a synthetic sense of grievance that Scotland was the victim of English imperialism — the Braveheart myth.

At the beginning of her assumption of power as First Minister of Scotland in 2007, Nicola Sturgeon announced that Scots should judge her tenure of office on her stewardship of education policy:

‘Judge me on education…Education, education, education…[is my priority]’

OK, let’s proceed to do so. Since coming to power, the SNP have prioritized the pursuit of separating Scotland from the rest of the UK and largely ignored the development of any domestic policies. Education is no exception to this.

The SNP have imbued education in Scotland with a skewed, insular nationalist bias that has led to a seriously imbalanced, anti-UK mindset among younger generations of Scots (those under around 50).

Anti-UK nationalism in the form of the SNP has had a substantial negative impact on the Scottish education system in a number of areas.

For example, history has been taught through a distorting Scottish prism and has failed to include key events, producing a highly distorted version of history that propagandizes the narrative with a false pro-Scottish nationalist angle, destroying any balance. A very unappetising underbelly of parochialism linked to anti-UK nationalism (i.e. the SNP) has promoted this trend. It has infested Scottish education with bias and a skewed, fallacious narrative and created a toxic culture in education which hinders improvement.

It is very dangerous for nationalist politics to have control of education policy, which should be driven by educationalists, not politicians.

The notion that Scottish history wasn’t taught enough in schools in the past is also just another SNP-sponsored myth. Scottish history was taught in schools in the pre-devolution era, a look at past Scottish exam papers proves this.

However, the pendulum has swung too far the other way under the SNP, with every issue being seen from a more or less purely Scottish perspective, producing a distorted version of past events. This is an inward-looking, parochial lens and the influence of nationalism can be seen coming through in terms of curriculum changes. This Scottish-centric approach doesn’t sit well with a properly balanced view of history. History has become politicised.

It is now essential to push for the depoliticisation of education as a matter of urgency, as such influences can stir up dangerous xenophobic attitudes. A balanced curriculum which shows all sides, critical thinking and getting young people to think for themselves should be the key values taught, not just focus on one narrow nationalist lens.

The result of all this gross mismanagement by the SNP has been a precipitous drop in educational standards and achievement, with Scotland dropping alarmingly down the World’s educational achievement tables, a huge achievement gap opening up between underprivileged and other children and even an increase in illiteracy.

Such are the results of nationalist-influenced education policy.

Inaction, complacency, and apathy on this issue are just not an option and are extremely dangerous. It’s the urgent task of all those who would like their children to do the best they can in their education and life generally and who want to maintain the Union to stand up and challenge this pernicious, cultist attempt by modern aggressive anti-UK nationalism to subvert our country by undermining belief in its future among the younger generations.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Conservative Friends of Education or the Conservative Party. The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice or endorsement by Conservative Friends of Education.