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Scotland's Priorities
There is consensus across the political spectrum that more sustainable economic growth is Scotland's overarching priority. Addressing long-term economic underperformance compared to the rest of the UK and many of our main economic competitors underpins the response to many of Scotland's wider challenges. This requires increased productivity across the Scottish economy and a greater sense of enterprise and entrepreneurship among our people. Increased attention to and investment in innovation is also required.
Both today, and in the future, Scots will have to be highly skilled and adaptable to succeed in the globalised economy. We need to be prepared to move with the times and to keep ourselves up to speed with the changes which technological advance will bring. Only through taking flexible educational opportunities throughout our lives will we be able to do this.
It is essential that we build Scotland's reputation overseas as a place in which to study, work, live and do business. Developing our reputation as a country with a vibrant economy and an open labour market with opportunities for those with the right skills and attitudes is a key to doing this. We must also ensure that Scotland's physical infrastructure is second to none to encourage investment and relocation.
To fully reap the benefits of existing and future economic success, it is essential that Scotland achieves social justice for all its people. This can only be done by tackling the causes and effects of poverty and deprivation. In particular we must tackle exclusion from employment and education among those capable of making a contribution to our economy and society. It is widely recognised that we have particular challenges among the diverse group of young people classified as NEET (not in employment, education and training) and among those adults who have been out of work for a significant period. Education is a key weapon in the battle for social justice.
It is also important that we develop as a society which is connected to the rest of the world and which values all its members irrespective of gender, ethnic origin, sexuality, religion, faith, disability, background or specific circumstances. These are not simply social issues. If we wish to retain and attract the sort of people who can generate wealth in the modern economy, we must offer an environment of tolerance which encourages free thinking and creativity. It is in all of our interests to educate Scots of the value of equality, diversity and an understanding of the world.
No matter what our attitudes are to the rest of the world, Scotland can never be isolated in terms of environmental impacts. Scotland must work hard to promote environmental welfare and we must be prepared to make difficult individual and collective environmental choices. To achieve this we must place an understanding of environmental issues at the heart of our education system.
We must also work hard with all our young people to make sure that they are fully equipped to prosper in a future which we cannot yet fully comprehend. This means that they have to move into the world of work with the attitudes and transferable skills that will help them achieve success no matter what challenges they face. The education we give our young people is our legacy to them and we must make sure it is a valuable legacy.
Scotland faces significant health challenges across the population. Some of these must be addressed by a well-trained health workforce applying modern techniques efficiently to meet needs. It is essential that we ensure that all those working in the delivery of healthcare have the best health education possible.
With an aging population Scotland will face increasingly complex medical demands and the costs associated with those. For this reason resources are likely to be more thinly spread than in the past and preventative care will become progressively more important. Essentially this is an educational challenge as much as a health challenge.
Our communities are made up of the people who live in them and the facilities available within them. In order for our communities to thrive it is essential that our people have public spaces in which they can come together. We can achieve the creation of a new type of public space through the smarter development and co-development of new public and private building. We also need to ensure that our people feel safe within their communities. In order to achieve this we must encourage our people to take responsibility for protecting one another. Education will be a significant element of achieving this.
Scotland must work hard to improve its standing in the world. This can be achieved by reaching out to the world to share our culture with others and absorb others' cultures. It can also be achieved by demonstrating the effectiveness of democracy in our country and building a healthy relationship between our people and their government. A prerequisite to achieving this is through a strong and academically liberated education system from which all our people can benefit.
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