« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
Building a Better Scotland
EDUCATION AND YOUNG PEOPLE
To give every child and young person the best possible start in life
We want to give every child and young person in Scotland the best possible start in life. Helping our children realise their potential is the key to giving them a sense of self-fulfilment and equipping them well for their future.
Our schools, and all the services that support children, families and young people, play a vital part in unlocking the potential of our children. That is why, in these spending plans, we are investing significant additional resources in school education and children's services, to: provide for the full implementation of the agreement on teachers' pay and conditions; expand support for children and families, especially those in difficult circumstances and with very young children; and carry forward the substantial investment we are making in school buildings and in childcare. We have incorporated the National Priorities in Education as well as working closely to identify common priorities with other portfolios. For example investment in:
- new community schools, school meals and early intervention will support the development of a healthy Scotland;
- childcare will widen access for parents to employment and training opportunities;
- youth justice, including tackling persistent young offenders, will help create a safer and fairer Scotland;
- children and young people with special educational needs and disability to improve their life chances and help build a caring Scotland; and
- educational attainment of looked after children and supporting these young people when they leave care will help close the opportunity gap for this disadvantaged group.
Tackling Youth CrimeThe Executive has launched a Ten-Point Action Plan to tackle youth crime in Scotland. The Action Plan recognises the strength of the existing youth justice system and identifies areas for further improvement, in particular combating persistent offenders, enhancing community safety and improving the effectiveness of the system. Key elements include a pilot of specialist Children's Hearings to fast-track persistent offenders under 16, a Youth Court feasibility project and fast-tracking for persistent offenders aged 16 and 17, spreading best practice for community-based projects, reconfiguring the secure accommodation estate and using voluntary measures to enhance parental responsibility. We have already announced an additional 15 million for this year in order to make a tangible difference as soon as possible. The Spending Review allocates a further 8/24/33 million to drive forward the Action Plan. Ministers and officials are working with key external players - including the police, local authorities, victims groups and voluntary sector - to ensure we meet the targets we have set ourselves to reduce the number of persistent young offenders. |
OBJECTIVES AND TARGETS
OBJECTIVE 1
Closing the opportunity gap by: putting children and young people and their families first; ensuring they are safe and do not threaten the safety of others; promoting equality, inclusion and diversity; and developing values and citizenship |
Target | 1 | By 2006, ensure that at least 15,000 vulnerable children under five, every looked after child, every pupil with special educational needs and every child on the child protection register have an integrated package of health, care and education support which meets their needs. |
Target | 2 | By 2006, the number of persistent young offenders will be 10% less than in 2000-01. |
Target | 3 | By 2006, reduce the gap between the average attendance levels in schools serving areas of high and low deprivation by 10%, and by another 10% by 2008. |
Target | 4 | By 2006, increase the nutritional value and presentation of school meals and increase take-up, especially among pupils eligible for a free school meal. |
OBJECTIVE 2
Building capacity by: establishing an effective framework for learning; investing in infrastructure; and ensuring the workforce has the capacity to deliver high quality services |
Target | 5 | Full implementation of the national agreement on teachers' pay and conditions ( A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century) by 2006. |
Target | 6 | Provision of a modern, high quality learning environment through the completion of 200 either new or substantially refurbished schools by 2006. |
Target | 7 | Rollout of the new community school and health promoting school approach across every local authority by 2006 and to every school by 2007. |
OBJECTIVE 3
Ensuring Excellence by: maximising achievement and attainment; and providing a basis for Learning for Life |
Target | 8 | Increase by at least 5% the proportion of pupils achieving expected 5-14 levels relevant to their stage in primary and secondary school, and at least five passes at SCQF level 5 (or better) by the end of S6, by 2006. |
Target | 9 | Reduce by at least 15% the proportion of pupils failing to reach level C in P7, level D in S2, and five passes at SCQF level 4 (or better) by the end of S6, by 2006. |
What we will do
We are determined to deliver real improvement in our schools and the services we provide to children and young people. Over the Spending Review period we will:
- make the largest ever investment in the physical school infrastructure. The first stage of the new school building programme (announced in June 2002) represents a 1.15 billion package of investment. It will involve the building or refurbishment of an additional 200 schools by 2006 and a further 100 schools by 2008-09;
- invest 10/25/25 million in improving the quality of life in our schools;
- make agreed funding available for the continued implementation of the teachers' pay agreement, including implementation of the Chartered Teacher programme;
- provide additional resources to fund the rollout of the new community school approach to all schools in Scotland by 2006-07;
- invest an additional 4.3/17.8/19.3 million in integrated children's services, mainly through the Changing Children's Services Fund, as well as investing an additional 3/13.3/13.3 million in social work training and child protection. We will work together with Health and Social Justice to promote more effective joint working across service providers, including the voluntary sector;
- continue to support early years intervention by providing an additional 6.6/29/54.9 million through Sure Start Scotland and the childcare strategy, complementing investment into childcare by the Social Justice portfolio, and forming part of our wider cross-cutting initiative to improve public health;
- we will take account of the recommendations of the expert panel on school meals to increase the nutritional value, presentation and take up of school meals in order to improve children's health as part of our wider cross-cutting initiative on public health;
- commit 2.5/9/10.5 million to the improved throughcare and after care of looked after children and to improve the educational attainment of looked after children;
- provide an additional 1.1/19/21 million to further improve inclusion and access to education for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities;
- continue to fund measures (10 million annually) to promote a positive ethos and improve discipline in schools. Additional funds will provide auxiliary support staff and home-links workers for secondary schools;
- provide continued funding to assist the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) in continuing its reforms; and
- provide increased support of 4.7/5.7/6.7 million for the Children's Hearing System.
Spending Plans
m | 2002-03
Plans | 2003-04
New Plans | 2004-05
New Plans | 2005-06
New Plans |
Schools | 145.7 | 187.4 | 212.9 | 222.1 |
Children and Young People | 63.0 | 82.5 | 115.7 | 125.7 |
Social Work Training | 10.3 | 13.2 | 20.2 | 20.2 |
Total | 219.0 | 283.1 | 348.8 | 368.0 |
Specific Grants1 | 189.9 | 139.6 | 149.9 | 239.9 |
Note
1. From 2003-04 onwards, 64 million in each year has been transferred from Specific Grants to Local Authority Revenue Support Grant following a review of the Excellence Fund.
« Previous | Contents | Next »