The Scottish Executive announced twelve key reforms, particularly aimed at secondary schools. They included: a new gold standard - the 'excellence standard' - for top performing schools; a new 3-18 curriculum - accepting in full the recommendations of the first phase of the curriculum review to deliver more choice, and a greater emphasis on literacy and numeracy; and a review of ways to simplify the exams structure, with a decision made about their future by 2007.
Source: Ambitious, Excellent Schools: Our agenda for action, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283) | Curriculum Review Group, A Curriculum for Excellence, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop
Links: Action plan | CRG report | SE press release
Date: 2004-Nov
The interim report of a review of school/college links in Scotland was published. It outlined how the Scottish Executive would meet its commitment to allow young people aged 14-16 to gain vocational skills - for example, by ensuring all secondary and special schools had effective working partnerships with at least one further education college.
Source: Building the Foundations of a Lifelong Learning Society, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2004-Nov
A review of funding to post-16 individual learners in Scotland recommended that the means test for student loans to cover living costs should be modernized to reflect modern definitions of households and families; that the test should cover both higher and further education, and be easier to understand; that the system under which discretionary hardship funds were awarded to students in further and higher education be simplified; and that the information, advice and guidance given to students and learning institutions be improved.
Source: Review of Funding for Learners: Final report, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (Word file) | SE press release
Date: 2004-Sep
An inspectorate report said that the integrated community schools initiative in Scotland had enhanced joint working between schools and other agencies to provide support for young people, particularly the most vulnerable. But it had not been fully successful in its aim of establishing a new over-arching vision and framework for the delivery of education and other children's services, using schools as the hub.
Source: The Sum of its Parts?: The development of integrated community schools in Scotland, HM Inspectorate of Education in Scotland (0131 244 0650)
Links: Report
Date: 2004-Sep
A report assessed the effectiveness of early years policies in Scotland.
Source: Fran Wasoff et al., A Baseline Study of Outcome Indicators for Early Years Policies in Scotland, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jun
The Scottish Parliament decided to levy higher tuition fees on students from England attending Scottish universities from 2006.
Source: Debate 24 June 2004, columns 9485-9498, Scottish Parliament, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jun
The Scottish Executive announced plans for a new individual learning account scheme. 'ILA Scotland' would be administered through a personal virtual account, which would allow the learner to claim up to 200 per year to fund a course of their choice. Learners would be required to contribute a minimum of 10 for each course they undertook. The new scheme would be available from summer 2004, and initially be offered to people on incomes of less than 15,000 per year. A universal scheme, focused initially on basic information technology skills and qualifications, would be rolled out from April 2005.
Source: Press release 27 January 2004, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400)
Links: SE press release
Date: 2004-Jan
