This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Education and skills
04/12/2006
The quality of Scotland's education and skills stands comparison with the best in the world, according to the lastest annual update of the Executive's Lifelong Learning Strategy.
Deputy First Minister Nicol Stephen said:
"Today's report shows that Scotland is performing very well in terms of skills and learning.
"Our well-qualified workforce is right up there with the top OECD nations. We have high levels of participation in all types of learning and our school attainment levels are rising.
"With more than 50 per cent of people qualified to Further Education level or above, Scotland is on a par with the USA and ahead of countries like New Zealand, Finland and Ireland.
"Learning has never been more important in our society and our lifelong learning policies are vital to Scotland's economic future. Continuing high levels of investment in education and lifelong learning are central to Scotland's future success."
Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Allan Wilson added:
"It is clear that Scotland's performance as a learning nation continues to improve.
"Young people, particularly those not in education, employment or training (NEET), need to have a range of choices and opportunities available to them.
"With Modern Apprenticeships, targeted business support, Individual Learning Accounts, and offering 'More Choices, More Chances' we are helping to reduce the number of young people who are 'NEET'.
"While much has been achieved, we also still have challenges to face. We need to make sure that everyone can benefit from learning, no matter what their age or background.
"Growing the Scottish economy is the top priority for this Executive and we must maximise the contribution which skills and learning can make to this goal.
"We will continue to work in close partnership with all of our stakeholders, whose hard work and enterprise have been vital to achieving the levels of success that we have had to date."
Life through Learning; Learning through Life is the Executive's five year lifelong learning strategy and was published in February 2003.
On November 13 a consultation was launched on issues related to lifelong learning- Lifelong Learning - Building on Success.