Deidre Brock: SNP candidate answers critics over comments on literacy and numeracy in schools
Deidre Brock’s comments on education have come under fire after she appeared to question the value of reading, writing and maths
An SNP candidate has hit back at critics after she came under fire for appearing to question the value of reading, writing and maths in education.
Deidre Brock, a former SNP MP, was parachuted into the Edinburgh South constituency for the forthcoming Holyrood election after previous candidate Sally Donald was found to owe £19,000 in Adult Disability Payment.
At a hustings in the constituency, Ms Brock faced criticism for telling the audience she did not “subscribe to” core skills of reading, writing and numeracy.
She said proficiency in skills such as arithmetic are less important now that pupils have calculators, eyewitnesses claimed.
Ms Brock, however, has hit back at the summary of her comments, calling them a “completely ridiculous assertion”.
“My point was that the modern world is so much more complicated than simply requiring reading, writing and arithmetic - as the Tory candidate for the Victorian era seemed to suggest - and that students need a wide range of skills,” she said.
The Scottish Conservative candidate in question, Marie-Clair Munro, said she had emphasised the importance of basic skills.
She said: “Parents will be astonished to hear anyone ridicule the teaching of the fundamentals of a good education.
“The decline in these basic but crucial standards has been so bad that the SNP withdrew from international comparison tables to save face.
“Things will continue to get worse if they are returned to office.”
The SNP has come under increasing pressure over its record in education, particularly in the decline in reading and maths in the international Pisa rankings.
A pledge to close the attainment gap has not been fulfilled.
Ms Munro said those in the audience “audibly gasped” at her Nationalist challenger’s comments.
Earlier this week, the SNP unveiled a pledge to give all P1 pupils a Welcome to School Bag filled with essentials such as a water bottle and stationery.
The scheme was met with derision by opposition parties and education experts, called a “gimmick” and faced the claim it will stigmatise certain children.
Paul O’Kane, Labour’s education spokesman, said: “They are more interested in announcing gimmicks that they have no intention of delivering on than helping our young people get off to the best start in life.
“Downplaying the need for children to learn basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic because they have calculators and the internet is misguided and wrong.”
Ms Brock, however, went on to say: ”The SNP is improving the opportunities and educational outcomes of Scotland’s young people with spending on schools across Scotland increasing by more than £1 billion in real terms over the past decade.
“Literacy and numeracy attainment are at the highest levels on record, the poverty-related attainment gap was at a record low level last year, and near record levels of young people are going into work, education or training."
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.