'Testing times'
This article originally appeared in 'Discover' magazine, issue 31.
The Library's collection of past exam papers is a valuable tool in showing how young people in Scotland have been tested over the years. But who had it the hardest? Stewart McRobert finds out …
in the Library's collections.
Every year, when results are announced, it seems that the newspapers, social media and airwaves buzz with accusations that exams are easier today than in the past. Anyone keen to explore this notion would be advised to consult the extensive collection of past papers and associated material held in the Library.
The archive contains papers dating from the 19th century and a complete record from 1909 up to the present day. As such, it offers a fascinating insight into the development of education in Scotland over the last 140 years.
Fiona Laing — Official Publications Curator in Collections and Research — is responsible for the collection. She said: 'The Education (Scotland) Act 1872 is the basis for the modern Scottish education system. It established a 'nonsectarian' network of public schooling controlled by what was then known as the 'Scotch' Education Department based at Whitehall, London.
The 1872 Act made school compulsory for the 5-13 age group, though some young people were exempt. In the late 1800s, fewer than five per cent of pupils attended a secondary school in Scotland — the priority for working-class children was to find work and start earning a wage.
By 1883 the nominal leaving age had been raised to 14, and in 1888 the Scottish Leaving Certificate, examined by university professors, was introduced for secondary pupils. There were two grades of certificate — a 'higher' grade for pupils going forward to universities, and a 'lower' that was initially designed to suit General Medical Council entrance requirements, but was later revised to suit banking, insurance and business.
Society at the time saw specific roles for males and females. Accordingly, there was a clear distinction in topics on offer to the two sexes. Subjects for boys included science, maths, Greek and the classics, while girls studied domestic economy, French, and botany.
The 20th century saw increased state intervention in education as schools came to be seen as an important agency for social welfare. The 1908 Education (Scotland) Act made parents responsible for their children's education. Medical inspections were introduced, as well as free school meals for needy children. Similarly, the poor physical condition of army recruits for the Boer War (1899-1902) saw more emphasis on physical training and military drill for male pupils.
The next phase of major change came half a century later. In the late 1950s, teachers took over the marking of the Leaving Certificate examination. In 1963 the Scottish Certificate of Education Examination Board was established to oversee Scotland's examination system (superseded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority in 1997).
Other developments included the splitting of joint subjects. In early days subjects could include a wide range of topics. For example, the 'English' exams of 1909 incorporated dictation, history and geography. However, by 1965 it was possible to gain passes in four separate science and six technical subjects at Higher level.
A new subject — modern studies — was introduced at Ordinary grade in 1962. The 1960s saw the system embrace the future. In 1965 a working group on computer education was set up to consider what steps could be taken to 'increase the supply of trained personnel working with computers in the light of the expected demand'. However, the first exam paper on computing did not appear until 1984. Despite these advances, some traditional thinking persevered. There remained exams in topics such as 'Navigation' and, even in 1972, 'Cookery with subsidiary housewifery'.
The introduction of Scotland's 'Curriculum for Excellence' in 2010 has brought even more developments, including the new National Qualifications. This summer, students will be able to choose from nearly 40 topics ranging from Cantonese to graphic communication and sociology.
Whether those will be simpler than their equivalents of over 100 years ago is a point that in many ways is impossible to answer.
What's not up for debate is that the Library will continue to collect and make available a valuable resource that shows just how Scotland's young people have been tested down the years.
How exams have changed: From use of words in 1909 to cyber-attacks on the internet in 2015
- English, Higher grade, 1909:
Select 10 of the following words, and make 10 sentences, using, in each, one of the words in its correct modern sense; show how the word has changed from its original meaning, and add the derivation where you can:
Caitiff, considerable, cunning, entail, ghostly, humour, knave, jovial, minister, nice, person, predicament, presently, recreant, shamefaced, temper, villain. - Agriculture, Scottish Certificate Examination, 1960:
Question seven: Explain Mendel's second and third laws of inheritance in terms of transmission of hereditary factors by chromosomes. - Homecraft, 1960:
Design the following: a pair of bedroom slippers. The slippers are for a lady who likes elaborate decoration in subdued colours and whose favourite colour is bottle green. Draw the design full-size, in colour, showing the shape of the upper when flattened out. - Home economics, fabric and fashion, O grade, 1974:
Section A, question 3: Prepare four rules which would assist with the prevention of accidents when using an electric iron? - Seamanship and nautical knowledge O grade, 1974:
Question 9a (i): With the aid of a sketch describe the arc of visibility through which the starboard side light is seen. - Information systems, Higher grade, 2015:
Describe what is meant by a 'denial of service' attack.
Digital answer
Answering the age-old question about comparison of exams down the years would be made much easier if the Library's collection was digitised — and that's the current ambition of Fiona Laing (left) and her colleagues.
Digitisation would allow effective comparisons of standards and subject matter across the years. Once digitised, the collection would provide an excellent resource for educational historians and anyone interested in seeing if they could still answer their old exam papers.
'We are keen to establish partnerships with institutions and researchers that would see a value in having the collection digitised,' said Fiona.