THE Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is to remove mandatory unit assessments for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses to reduce the workload of teachers.

The move was ratified by the Curriculum for Excellence Management Board on Thursday and will see the assessments removed for National 5 courses from 2017-18 and Higher courses from 2018-19.

Mandatory assessments will be removed from Advanced Higher courses from 2019-20.

The assessments will be replaced by "strengthened" final exams and externally marked coursework.

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Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: "Removing unit assessment from National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses will significantly reduce the workload burden for our teachers, giving them more time to focus on what is most important - teaching our young people - while maintaining the core principles of Curriculum for Excellence.

"Instead of unit assessments, certification will be based on a strengthened final exam and externally assessed coursework.

"I have asked the SQA to take forward this work, and to spell out exactly what this means in practice.

"I have already taken action in response to feedback from teachers, to de-clutter the curriculum guidance and review the workload demands placed on teachers by local authorities.

"The new measures ratified by the CfE Management Board today will build on this work, reducing workload and over-assessment for teachers and learners.

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"They will ensure that teachers in Scotland have more time to teach and contribute to closing the attainment gap."

Last week, the EIS teaching union hailed the move as a "victory for common sense", adding the change had been brought about after industrial action by its members.

In June, teachers in the union voted by 95% to 5% in favour of taking action short of a strike because of workload concerns.