Education secretary Fiona Hyslop has announced that school Standard Grade exams will be scrapped and replaced by a new "general" grade - which brighter pupils may skip, going straight to Highers.

EIS General Secretary Ronnie Smith: "The EIS remains to be convinced of the value of this. Standard Grade is a well recognised qualification, valued by employers, teachers and parents, which provides a valuable exit qualification for pupils who elect to leave school following fourth year."

Brian Boyd, Professor of Education, University of Strathclyde: "Standard grades have served Scottish pupils well since their introduction in the late 1970s. But, now that most young people stay on at school beyond S4, we no longer need a leaving exam at this stage. So we should keep what is best in the Standard Grade courses but dispense with the external exams.

"Any reform needs to start with the four purposes of A Curriculum for Excellence - successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens - and come up with ways of assessing them. Trooping pupils, 200 at a time, into an exam hall and forcing them to write as fast as they can for two and a half hours on a topic no longer meets the needs of the 21st century."

Howard McKenzie, Acting Chief Executive of the Association of Scotland's Colleges: "One of the key strengths of the education system in Scotland is its ability to accommodate both continuity and change. The association is particularly pleased with the emphasis in the Cabinet Secretary's announcement on literacy and numeracy."

Michael McGrath of the Scottish Catholic Education Service: "I think it's time to review the provision for examinations and qualifications at that stage. I would caution the government to consider all the implications of any change. Every time an examination system is reviewed and a new system introduced, only a few years later it's considered inadequate for purpose. Any new system should allow young people to gain proper credit for their achievements and to demonstrate their potential."

Bill McGregor, general secretary of the Headteachers' Association of Scotland: "We can see the sense in going for a new award, provided it has rigour. Standard Grade wasn't particularly useful, in my personal opinion. Worse, it put a step in the way for those who were going to go on to do Higher. But we are not convinced parents will say, Skip the fourth-year exam.' O grades were meant to be optional, but nobody skipped it - parents preferred to see money in the bank'."

Jim Docherty, deputy general secretary, Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association: "Whatever you think of Standard Grade, it has a certain credibility. But there is no campaign to save Standard Grade, unless what is proposed to replace it is inappropriate. We will oppose any attempt to foist certification on the cheap on Scotland. It is essential the change is properly resourced."

Judith Gillespie of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council: "The system had become too complex and confusing. Whether schools chose Standard Grades or Intermediate Highers was almost random. We welcome a move away from that. But what they have announced will be put in their place is so vague you can't comment. The timescale for any development is incredibly tight and there is a major issue about resources, particularly with many schools suffering cuts."