Everybody needs an education

Almost 60,000 children started their full time education this month in Scotland – four and five year olds starting out in primary one on a journey of at least 11 years of learning. And all the very best to all the youngsters across Banffshire and Buchan Coast who excitedly wore their new uniforms and made their first trip to the school gates this month.

To reflect what the First Minister recently stated in a speech – we have a sacred duty to each one of these children to make sure that they are being well equipped in the skills that will determine much of the rest of their lives.

Scotland has long been at the forefront of education and in the 17th and 18th centuries was indeed the envy of the world for creating a universal system that catered for all – regardless of economic means and circumstance.When my grandfather starting his teaching career in 1881, things were very different from today.

Now it is taken as a given that a good education sets a young person up for life – with benefits not only for the individual but also for the country in creating prosperity, competitiveness and success.

But one of the areas where improvement is most certainly needed is in the less advantaged areas - closing the gap in educational outcomes between pupils from the most and the least deprived parts of Scotland. The 200,000 children currently living in poverty in Scotland need to be given the same opportunities to succeed as all others.

This gap is not a reflection of young people’s talent but rather that too many children have their life chances influenced more by where they live, than by how talented they are, or how hard they work. The Scottish Government is determined to address this.

Over the last eight years there have been significant challenges facing the education system such as the recession and deep spending cuts, but in spite of this progress has been made.

The Curriculum for Excellence has marked a major step forward in Scottish education – and one which has attracted international attention. It provides a broader education for young people and raises the standard overall.

In 2007, just 45 per cent of students stayed on at school until sixth year – now, the proportion is 62 per cent. Unlike in England, Scotland retained the educational maintenance allowance benefitting 35,000 school pupils and college students every year – which has contributed to this.

School leaver destinations are also the best on record. Of the students who left school last year, more than nine out of 10 were in employment, education or training nine months later.

At the beginning of August, young people in Scotland gained a record number of passes at Higher and Advanced Higher, and there were more people gaining National Certificates and National Progression Awards than before.

Preparing young people for work will be an even bigger focus in the future – and getting employers involved in the education of youngsters.

In every part of this country, Scotland has good schools, good teachers, good parents, and our young people are good learners. Standards have risen and are continuing to rise. That’s testament to the work of local authorities, and many others such as the third sector, youth workers and community learning and development staff.

A recent local example of innovative education funding is the Inspiring Learning Spaces fund. Across Scotland there are 20 projects over 19 local authorities that have been given a cash boost to create spaces for flexible learning, allowing closer partnerships between schools and further education.

In Aberdeenshire, £260,000 has been invested into remodelling four classrooms into innovative teaching environments that are modern, flexible and motivating for both teachers and pupils.

The space in which children learn can help in the transition from school to further education, training or employment. The fund complements the £1.8 billion Scotland’s Schools for the Future programme, all of which aims to ensure Scotland becomes a world leader in education.

When children first enter schools, they are full of ambition and dreams which can wane as they get older as the information, support and inspirational role models can be lacking in their lives. This is the drive behind an aspirations package for schools currently being put together – working with the Children’s University, local employers and entrepreneurs.

The education of young people in Scotland is a huge area with much of the work being done that will bear fruit in years to come. But you can be assured that the education of our young people is at the heart of the Scottish Government. Building on the success of the past and striving to achieve more, we have a bright future ahead.