Education Reform Bill Passed by Scottish Parliament
26 Jun 2025
The Education (Scotland) Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament last night. After receiving Royal Assent, the Bill will become an Act, and its legislation will be implemented.
The Bill was first introduced on 4 June 2024 and was passed late last night by 69 votes to 47.
The Bill will dissolve the Scottish Qualifications Authority, the national body previously tasked with overseeing qualifications in Scotland, which will be replaced by Qualifications Scotland. Qualifications Scotland will then be responsible for developing, regulating, and awarding any non-university level qualifications.
The Bill will also create the office of Chief Inspector of Education, a role with enhanced independence and whose responsibilities will include ensuring schools and education authorities are making necessary improvements, and publishing annual reports on the performance of the Scottish education system.
The decision to reform the education system came in part from recommendations from a report by Professor Ken Muir which called for a ‘renewed vision’ of education in Scotland.
Ahead of the Bill being passed, Children in Scotland released a statement saying:
"As the Scottish Parliament debates Stage 3 of the Education (Scotland) Bill, we remain committed to ensuring the voices of children and young people are not just heard, but meaningfully embedded, in the future of Scottish education.
At Stage 1 we highlighted a range of concerns with the proposals in particular around a lack of ambition and a lack of clarity on the mechanisms for the participation of children and young people to engage with and participate in the new qualifications body and inspectorate.
If the Bill becomes law, we will work closely with Scottish Government and the new education bodes to ensure there are meaningful opportunities for children and young people.
We have heard consistently from Changing our World, the Inclusion Ambassadors and many other project groups about the need for change in how their education is delivered.
With this in mind, we are still concerned that the Education (Scotland) Bill is not ambitious enough in how it looks to drive change in education in Scotland. If the Bill comes into law, we will continue to advocate for and with children and young people for an education system which supports their rights and needs."
Read more of our evidence:
Changing our World's Education and Learning paper: https://lnkd.in/e_EpnS-c
Children in Scotland's response to the Education, Children and Young People Committee’s Call for Views on Education Reform: https://lnkd.in/eymvBggn
Inclusion Ambassadors: https://lnkd.in/eGja_gx8

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