This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Scottish education on international stage
27/10/2003
Scotland welcomes Commonwealth education ministers and young people for a four-day international conference starting in Edinburgh today.
Within the overarching themes of Closing the Gap: Access, Inclusion, Achievement, the 15th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (15CCEM) will explore ways of improving the lives of millions of children and young people through better access to education.
The conference will focus on six areas for improvement and decisions on future action to be taken across the Commonwealth will be recorded in the Edinburgh Communique.
The six Action Areas are:
- Achieving universal primary education
- Eliminating gender disparities in education
- Improving quality in education
- Using distance learning to overcome barriers
- Supporting education in difficult circumstances
- Mitigating the effects of HIV/AIDS on education systems
Education and Young People Minister Peter Peacock said:
"Hosting 15CCEM is a big honour for Scotland. It is an opportunity to highlight our commitment to lifelong learning and to showcase Scotland's strong traditions, vibrant culture and modern outlook.
"There is much to celebrate about the positive roles Scots have played in the Commonwealth's history. But our contribution is not just in the past, today Scots teachers are working in many Commonwealth countries and we have a significant contribution to make to the international community in the years to come.
"Many parts of the Commonwealth still look to Scotland for leadership in education. We have a strong tradition of excellence in education and in many areas we continue to lead world developments. That way we remain relevant and can continue to contribute to development of education internationally."
The Minister will be holding a series of bilateral discussions with education ministers from around the Commonwealth to compare policy approaches and to encourage them to buy in to a range of Scottish educational products.
15CCEM will be at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre until Thursday.
Education Ministers from 52 Commonwealth countries will be invited. Commonwealth Education Ministers meet every three years to discuss issues of mutual concern and interest. The last meeting was held in Halifax Nova Scotia in 2000.
15CCEM will build on the agreements and decisions taken in the earlier meetings as well as focusing on "Closing the Gap: Access, Inclusion, Achievement."
Ministers will address the key issues of ensuring all children and young people have access to the highest quality education, that their education is fully inclusive and that it enables them to maximise achievement.
15CCEM will also feature two further events for young people:
- A Showcase of Best Educational Practice - concentrating on the direct involvement of young people in cutting edge educational processes
- The first Education Youth Summit of the Commonwealth - to debate education
issues and contribute to the final document of the 15CCEM - The Edinburgh Communique.
15CCEM is supported by The Commonwealth Secretariat, The Scottish Executive, The British Council, The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, The City of Edinburgh Council, The DfES, The Welsh Assembly Government, The Department of Education Northern Ireland and the Commonwealth of Learning among others.