This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Borders headteachers discuss modernisation
15/11/2004
Deputy Education Minister Euan Robson today met
headteachers from across the Scottish Borders to discuss
plans to modernise the education system.
Twelve key actions to improve Scotland's schools were
unveiled by the Executive earlier this month.
They are part of a wider package of reforms which
together make up the most comprehensive modernisation
programme in our schools for a generation.
The dozen key reforms, particularly aimed at secondary
schools, are:
- 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, a greater
emphasis on literacy and numeracy and more time for
pupils to study Highers
- A
review of Standard Grades to simplify
the exams structure, with a decision made about their
future by 2007
- Allowing pupils to sit examsearlier by abolishing the outdated
'age and stage' regulations
- Allowing primary teachers to work in secondary
schools so that pupils' performance does not
suffer when they move from P7 to S1
- A
LeadershipAcademy, backed by the Hunter
Foundation, to help headteachers lead from the
front
- A
Schools of Ambition Programme to
fast-track improvements in those schools most in need
of transformation or those which want to extend
themselves further - Executive funding of £8 million a
year will be invested in the Programme and the
Leadership Academy
- Extending devolved school management
so that headteachers have more money to spend at their
discretion, three year budgets to better plan change
and a greater say over staffing structures
- New Skills For Work courses and
qualifications to provide pupils with more
vocational choices and more opportunities to make their
way in the world of work
- More international comparisons between
Scotland's education performance and that of other
countries to ensure Scotland continues to compete
internationally
- A
new Survey of Achievement to ensure
the best possible information is available on schools'
performance
- A new round of
local authority inspections to ensure
they are getting the best performance from their
schools and headteachers.
Following the meeting with the headteachers, Mr Robson
said:
"These reforms are about taking immediate action to
deliver improvement in our schools.
"Action that will deliver a more exciting education for
pupils; action for parents who want their children to have
more choice; action to give teachers and headteachers more
freedoms; action for the economy by giving employers and
young people the skills they need.
"And action that delivers for Scotland an ever improving
education system that is competitive on the world
stage.
"These reforms will create ambitious, confident Scots
who can help build stronger communities and grow the
economy."