The school curriculum aims to equip pupils with the skills, knowledge and experiences they need to realise their potential, fulfil their ambitions and succeed in later life.
The curriculum is non-statutory in Scotland and so is not dictated by the Government. Responsibility for what is taught rests with local authorities and schools, taking into account national guidelines and advice.
The current curriculum has undergone a lot of changes in previous years and many schools now feel it is too cluttered and disjointed.
A major review of the curriculum - Curriculum for Excellence - is therefore underway. Curriculum for Excellence will create, for the first time, a seamless curriculum from age three to 18. It will offer pupils greater choice and opportunity and give teachers more professional freedom.
The biggest reform of Scotland's education system in a generation is now fully underway with the recent launch of guidance for teachers, known as the Experiences and Outcomes.