Children’s Commissioner report signals urgency of education reform

31 March 2025

In a new report released today, the Children and Young People’s Commissioner has urged the Scottish Government and authorities to urgently redesign education.

Commissioner Nicola Killean has made recommendations to improve the education system – warning that too many children are failing to thrive in the current set-up. 

The Commissioner and her team have spent over a year listening to children and young people’s current experiences of learning. The recommendations – which come both directly from children, and from the office – build on existing education reform reports and push for much more urgent and substantial change.

Her recommendations include:

• fundamental reform of the support and resourcing for children who have additional support needs

• a co-ordinated and adequately resourced national online education offer to support children who need and can benefit from that option for many reasons

• more equitable access to subject choice, as children can’t always study the things they want to

• ensuring the purpose of education is to prioritise the development of a child’s full potential, not be dominated by exam results
• accelerate the implementation of the Hayward Review, which will reform assessments and qualifications.

Ms Killean said: “Too many children are being let down by our current system. Every child has a right to an education that develops their personality, talents, and abilities to their full potential.

“We’ve had review after review, and the promise of change, but children in school feel no improvement. The pace of education reform has not only been glacial, but it is fundamentally focussed on the wrong areas. Time is being spent on restructuring adult agencies and not on addressing the needs of children within a system that is clearly failing them.

“Children should be at the heart of shaping change to education, working alongside all those adults tasked with delivering it – government, decision-makers, and practitioners. Within education children are the ultimate stakeholders, and they have been very clear that they want change in education to be a priority for the government.

“Many children need improved support – this includes disabled children, children with neurodivergent conditions, and those living in poverty. We can’t deliver a rights-respecting education when children’s needs are not recognised or met."

Children in Scotland's Head of Policy, Projects and Participation, David Mackay, reflected on the report saying:

"This report chimes with what we have heard from children and young people about their experience of education and learning in Scotland. Reform of the education system is urgently needed to ensure children and young people can fully experience their rights under the UNCRC.

"As education reform legislation progresses through the Scottish Parliament, we will be working with the Scottish Government and partners to ensure children and young people's voices, experiences and needs are kept at the very heart of discussions. This report will be incredibly useful in helping us to maintain that focus."

Read Changing our World's 'Education and Learning' Summary Paper > 

The Commissioner’s Young Advisors were involved in the research and have made an accompanying film to the report. They visited schools with the Commissioner to work with children and hear their views.

One Young Advisor reflected after visiting schools: “This is our lives. This is what will impact us not only now...this will impact on our futures. It matters a lot to us, and all young people.”

The report, “This is our lives, it matters a lot”: Putting children’s rights at the heart of education, shares what children told the Commissioner and makes recommendations under the themes of culture, curriculum, personalisation and support, assessment and qualifications, and purpose.

Nicola Killean will co-chair day one of Children in Scotland's Annual Conference, which takes place 28-29 May in Glasgow. Find out more on our conference hub.