12 | Cameron Wyllie | What is stopping us closing the attainment gap in our education system?

Mr Cameron Wyllie is an authority on education. He has been an English teacher, International Schools Debating coach, and Principal (Head) of Scotland's highest achieving private school of this decade, George Heriot's School.  Mr Cameron Wyllie is an authority on education. He has been an English teacher, International Schools Debating coach, and Principal (Head) of Scotland's highest achieving private school of this decade, George Heriot's School.  

In this conversation, Zack talks to one of his old teachers, Mr Wyllie to discuss Scotland's poverty-related attainment gap. We touch on the success (or rather, lack of it) of Scotland's flagship education policy, the so-called "Curriculum for Excellence", explore the reasons for the lack of appetite in the SNP to fix the problems with its implementation, and discuss what steps might actually close the gap..

We also ask how to make sure every child achieves their potential in education, whether teaching critical thinking skills improves public debate, and how this all ties in to broader discussions around Scottish Independence.

// Cameron's Links

📖 Book recommendation: Class Rules by James McEnaney -https://amzn.to/3IcGuKf

🐤 Twitter: @Wyllie_Cameron

🍵 Cameron's Blog - A House in Joppa: https://ahouseinjoppa.wordpress.com/

🌐 More about the OECD report: https://www.oecd.org/education/scotland-s-curriculum-for-excellence-bf624417-en.htm

🗣️ Speak up Scotland: https://esuscotland.org.uk/speak-up-scotland/

📣 English speaking Union: https://www.esu.org/

// Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZAHGTNVUZ1c

// About the host

I'm Zack Hassan, a junior doctor living in Edinburgh, Scotland who studied at Cambridge University. I'm passionate about teaching others the critical thinking and speaking skills to articulate their ideas as powerfully as possible. Healthy Discussions is about applying those skills to problems in wider society through open discussion and rational debate.

// Socials

–> Twitter - @MontereyZack

-> LinkedIn

-> "Thinking Allowed" - my free Personal Email Newsletter with my favourite links and thoughts

-> YouTube Channel 

// Credits

Music - Overriding Concern by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4187-overriding-concern

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/