By Alasdair Macdonald
The issue is with PISA. It has very little statistical rigour and offers nothing in the way of improving educational practice.
I was a secondary school head teacher at the time it and other ‘measures’ were introduced in education in Scotland in other places. I and my colleagues argued against it.
Educational provision, like everything else, ought to be continuously evaluated, partly to get evidence on whether it is achieving the aims set out for it and partly to get information on areas which require attention. However, there are, literally, hundreds of aspects to be measured and many of these aspects are not measurable by things like tests of arithmetical competence. Such tests are part of the picture but their results are not the full picture (insofar as a full picture can be obtained) Most of the data have to be set in a fairly long time context so that temporary fluctuations can be seen. Usually such temporary fluctuations are easily explainable, in the cases of individual schools.
Such data do, in fact exist. There is a great deal of it and it requires a great deal of care and experience to identify things which are of statistical significance. And things can be significantly ‘good’ as well as ‘poor’.
PISA is of no benefit in this evaluative context. It is an instrument of BLAME and, as such, is a tool of control and compliance over schools and teachers. For some politicians and their media mouthpieces it is a malign instrument which stifles the creativity which is an essential part of teaching.
Some of those in power see such creativity as presenting a threat to their power.
Creativity and the autonomy necessary to be creative can challenge power, but it is the way that people in all walks of life improve things. It is essential in medicine, science, engineering, the arts, social policy, etc.
PISA is a club to beat creativity out of teachers and schools.
The teacher unions are not too keen on creativity amongst their members, too!
Footnote:
Further reading suggested by the Editor –
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
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By far the greater issue over PISA is the political media propaganda bubble in which PISA only exists – The same is largely true of hospital waiting lists, ferry stories, etc..
Parents know very well how their kids are being educated, and despite being regularly assaulted by ‘woe is them’ items on TV, radio and in the press, it’s simply not cutting through to the public.
A natural form of Dolby-BBC has developed in Scots, a variant on Aesop’s fable of the boy who cried wolf, mainly because THEY’ve been ‘at it’ for so bloody long, including during a health crisis – We’re beyond ‘honest’ journalism a la Fyfe Robertson – Instead we have ‘he said nothing..” Robinson, disabled seaman Williams, “holding government to account” Robertson, call Kay-E with an entirely stage managed scam to pillory the FM, etc., etc.. Journalism ?
It’s not just the Union that Scots (and English) have become tired of, but the entire apparatus attached of an Empire of the rich V poor which refused to die a quiet death… And now over to our correspondent James Cook as he brushes off not winning a gong with a stage managed tear……
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