Background

National Debate on Education

In 2002 the Scottish Executive embarked on an extensive consultation exercise on the state of school education - the 'National Debate on Education'.

The Debate confirmed that a number of features of the present Scottish curriculum are highly valued. These include the flexibility which already exists in the system, the commitment to breadth and balance in the curriculum, the quality of teaching and, importantly, the comprehensive principle. 

However, there were clear demands for change and improvement:

• Reduce overcrowding in the curriculum.
• Make learning more enjoyable.
• Make better connections between the stages in the curriculum from 3 to 18.
• Achieve a better balance between 'academic' and 'vocational' subjects.
• Broaden the range of learning experiences for young people.
• Equip young people with the skills they need now and in future employment.
• Make sure that approaches to assessment and certification support learning.
• Offer more choice to meet the needs of individual young people.        

The Curriculum Review Group

In response to the National Debate, Ministers established a Curriculum Review Group in November 2003. Its task was to identify the purposes of education for the 3 to 18 age range and determine the key principles to be applied in redesigning the curriculum. The Review Group took full account of the views expressed in the National Debate, and drew on current research and international comparisons. It considered the implications of a huge range of global, local, economic, educational and social developments for the aims and purposes of education. Its work resulted in the publication in November 2004 of A Curriculum for Excellence.

Curriculum for Excellence

'A Curriculum for Excellence' provides explicit statements of the aims of education in Scotland, concepts which have long been implicit. In summary, the purposes of education are to enable all young people to become:

• successful learners
• confident individuals
• responsible citizens
• effective contributors.        

The development of these capacities, attributes and capabilities lies at the heart of work on curriculum renewal.

'A Curriculum for Excellence' also established clear principles for curriculum design to provide a framework within which improvements can and should be made. The principles identified - challenges and enjoyment, breadth, progression, depth, personalisation and choice, coherence and relevance - will have different emphases at different stages and as each young person learns and develops.

These statements about the purposes of education, and the definition of principles for curriculum design, were endorsed by the then Minister for Education, in the document A Curriculum for Excellence: Ministerial Response.

Ministerial Response to 'A Curriculum for Excellence'

The Ministerial Response set out a range of actions designed to give shape to these aspirations, including:

• 'de-cluttering' and redesigning the curriculum, starting with science
• recognising achievement in S1-S3
• introducing Skills for Work courses.

Key documents

• A Curriculum for Excellence: The Curriculum Review Group 
  Report outlining the purposes and principles of the curriculum 3-18 (2004).
• A Curriculum for Excellence: Ministerial Response
  Ministers' response to 'A Curriculum for Excellence' (2004).