| Targeting
Excellence - Summary and Conclusions |
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In the introduction to this White Paper
we committed ourselves to ensuring that we have a world
class schools system in Scotland where young people will
- Be confident,
motivated and well-rounded
- Be literate and
numerate - to a level at or above that of their
peers in the rest of the world
- Fully understand
and be able to play their part as citizens of a
democratic society
- Seize
opportunities open to them regardless of their
background, culture or race
- Be able to work
flexibly and to embrace change on a continuing
basis.
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| To
achieve this, every school should be excellent, or
improving, or both. |
| 1. Targeting
Excellence has set out the range of important
initiatives we have put in place to achieve this vision,
and a range of future proposals. These initiatives are
bringing a sense of purpose to all schools, they set out
a clear set of national priorities and they provide a
framework of challenge and support for teachers, pupils,
schools and education authorities. They celebrate
achievement but provide a basis for making a determined
attack on under-performance and its causes. They
strengthen the fundamental partnerships on which
improving schools and the realisation of the potential of
all our young people depend. |
| 2. The
Government is committed to maintaining its positive role
in those partnerships - identifying and inviting
agreement to key priorities, seeking out and
disseminating good practice and encouraging and
stimulating the pursuit of excellence. We fully recognise
the great commitment and achievements of others, often in
difficult and challenging circumstances. We must maintain
and build on that commitment and on the momentum we have
already created through the radical programme of
improvement. |
| 3. Targeting
Excellence has discussed a number of key proposals to
ensure that our schools system, and everyone within it,
continues to grow and develop. The arrival of the
Scottish Parliament later this year will be a significant
development - it is certain to take a keen interest in
education. It will share the widespread commitment within
Scotland to raising standards and to ensuring that our
schools seek continued improvement in the interests of
all our young people. It will provide a forum for
important national debate on priorities. |
| 4. It will
of course be for that Scottish Parliament to consider in
detail how it wishes to take forward the future proposals
set out in this paper. In the meantime, the Government
wishes to stimulate wide-ranging discussion of its
proposals and the framework set out in Targeting
Excellence. It wants everyone in Scotland to share
its vision of what is necessary to ensure that our
schools system is a world leader - a system to which
people outside Scotland look for ideas and examples of
good practice and a system in which the levels of
attainment compare favourably with any other system. The
Government believes we can achieve that by targeting
excellence. |
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| Do you wish
to comment on any aspect of this White Paper? |
| The Government would welcome views and
further discussion of this White Paper. Please send any
comments by 23 April 1999 to Miss Nicola Williams
The Scottish Office Education and Industry Department
Area 2A
Victoria Quay
EDINBURGH
EH6 6QQ
E-mail address: nicola.williams@scotland.gov.uk
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| Alternatively you may lodge your comments on
the Targeting Excellence online discussion forum
available on the Scottish Virtual Teachers' Centre
website at http://www.svtc.org.uk
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| Further copies of the summary of the
Government's White paper can be obtained from Mr Neil Corrie at the above
address,
Tel: 0131 244 0951
Fax: 0131 244 0957.
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