Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning: Theory of Change report

Part two: Recommendations for the Taskforce: taking forward and developing the Theory of Change

This report and resulting Theory of Change was produced prior to the Putting Learners at the Centre: Towards a Future Vision for Scottish Education report on education reform (hereafter referred to as the Muir report) and therefore, our recommendations reflect the collaborative conversations with the Taskforce in identifying the outcomes they wish to achieve, and how they might wish to work through the Theory of Change. We have used the language used by the Taskforce within the workshops as much as possible in order to reflect the conversations as they happened.

In order to meet these goals, our short term recommendations focus on ensuring the Taskforce is working effectively.

A: Short term recommendations:

Enabling the Taskforce to lead the work necessary to end systemic gender inequality in education and learning.

A1. The Taskforce agrees shared definitions for 'anti-racist', 'intersectional' and 'gender competency' in the context of gender equality in education.

A2. Agree whether to include the bold and italic text in the three strategic goals as mentioned in the introduction.

A3. Use intersectional and anti-racist practice to grow the Taskforce into a coherent group, equipped to deliver its Theory of Change.

A4. Re-evaluate the membership of the Taskforce and reconsider the membership of the Taskforce to include relevant stakeholders, in line with agreed activities.

A5. The Taskforce collaborates with other organisations and/or groups that work with girls and young women in schools, to better understand their experiences and identify their ideas for change and have those ideas and experiences inform the Taskforce's outputs.

A6. A permanent chair is appointed to drive forward the recommendations in this report and, in the short term, they focus on building clear consensus between Taskforce members on the goals and outcomes detailed in its Theory of Change.

A7. The Taskforce agrees a framework of guiding questions to, on an ongoing basis, support activity identification and to test assumptions about what works.

B. Medium term recommendations - Leadership and participation

Empowering leaders in the education system to lead change in systemic gender inequality in education and learning

B1. Form working groups within the Taskforce to take forward the activities for each goal, including a mapping exercise to ensure policies and frameworks developed reflect intersectional and gender competency principles.

B2. Taskforce members will work with organisations including the Scottish Government, Education Scotland, The General Teaching Council for Scotland, Local Authorities and schools to facilitate the development of leadership programmes to upskill and resource educational leaders to tackle gender inequality in education and learning.

B3. Taskforce members develop a gender competency framework for education and learning that incorporates intersectionality and anti-racism competencies.

B4. Scottish Government Analytical Services to develop and resource intersectional data collection and analysis mechanisms to provide baselines for all activities within each goal. B5. Develop monitoring and evaluation frameworks which provide iterative feedback loops and testing assumptions threaded throughout all work.

C. Long term recommendations - embedding change

Sustainable impact

C1. Work with relevant bodies to support them in the development of resources which contribute to a gender competent/gender equal curriculum

C2. Work with Education Scotland to support inspections focusing on high level outcomes (see high level outcomes on page 7).

C3. Develop and support accountability systems and support- including targets and gender budgeting.

C4. Taskforce members will work with the new Gender Based Violence in Schools working group to facilitate the development and delivery of survivor centred and trauma informed policies and procedures.

C5. Taskforce members will work with the new Gender Based Violence in Schools working group to facilitate the development and delivery of meaningful survivor centred support and knowledge.

C6. Taskforce members work with representatives of CYP's groups to support the meaningful participation of children and young people in the Taskforce to better inform its ambitions.

C7. Work with providers of professional learning to support impactful learning and development with all school staff by developing robust structures and mechanisms to ensure its success

C8. Taskforce members work with stakeholders to support the development of gender competent school estate planning.