A MESSAGE FROM THE FIRST MINISTER
Welcome to the National Conversation - a unique opportunity for you to consider and debate the most important issues affecting the future of Scotland
Gaelic language version
Over the last ten years the Scottish Parliament has shown how Scotland can successfully govern itself by providing distinctive, innovative solutions to issues that matter to Scotland.
I am proud to serve as Scotland's First Minister, and proud of what we have achieved in that time. I believe that by abolishing tuition fees, providing care for older people, freezing the Council Tax, cutting business rates, delivering record numbers of police officers and addressing health and education, the Scottish Parliament and Government have made a real difference to the lives of the people of Scotland.
But devolution is a process not an event and the time is now right to review and further strengthen the responsibilities of the Scottish Parliament.
The current economic crisis has clearly demonstrated many weaknesses in the existing constitutional settlement. Scotland has very limited scope to lower tax rates to provide a fiscal stimulus. We cannot borrow money to fund public works, or make changes to benefits, pensions or tax credits to meet Scottish needs. Instead, Scotland is dependent on decisions made by the UK Government at Westminster.
Our choices are also limited on issues such as climate change, alcohol misuse and investment in renewable energy.
We believe that Scotland should be like any other independent European country, working in partnership with our neighbours and with our own voice and the full ability to meet the needs of the people of our nation. This is why we plan to hold a referendum at the end of 2010, so you can decide.
But what does an independent Scotland mean to you?
The National Conversation is about giving you the facts, hearing your views and providing opportunities to debate some very serious issues about the future of Scotland. We believe that, only then, can you make informed choices when the referendum comes.
This leaflet is part of that ongoing process of keeping you informed about the opportunities and impact of an independent Scotland.
I look forward to debating these issues with you.
Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP
Education in Scotland
An educated and skilled workforce is essential if Scotland is to increase sustainable economic growth. Investment in early years, schools and further and higher education have a proven impact on the employability and productivity of individuals and, in turn, business growth. Education and lifelong learning also helps people progress and play a full role in society.
Scotland's formal education system is quite distinct from the rest of the UK. For many years Scotland has had its own curriculum framework and qualifications system, with different lengths of compulsory primary and secondary education, different school exam systems and longer degree courses. With devolution in 1999, the Scottish Parliament gained legislative authority for the entire education system.
Scotland has 43 colleges and 20 higher education institutions providing learning, teaching, research and knowledge transfer which contribute to increasing sustainable economic growth. Student support is devolved, although student loans are funded by HM Treasury.
In addition to the formal education system, the Scottish Government has responsibility for pre-school education, childcare, children's services, the children's hearings system, social work, youth work, community education (including adult literacy) and training and skills development.
The Scottish Government is working hard within its existing powers to extend opportunities for people in Scotland to succeed from nurture through to lifelong learning, ensuring higher and more widely shared achievements.
However, the current constitutional settlement limits our ability to maximise this contribution. Key levers needed to boost Scotland's long-term competitiveness and to address poverty and social exclusion are currently reserved to the UK Government, including borrowing powers and the tax and benefits system.
Employability and Employment Services
Responsibility for the tax and benefits system, including tax credits, would allow the Scottish Government to tackle poverty more effectively and help those people who can work to achieve their potential through employment.
An independent Scotland would provide an opportunity to improve the integration of education, training and skills development with employment services.
Currently employability is devolved, but employment and Jobcentre Plus services are reserved. If these services were also devolved, all job search and support services, including training and skills development, could be properly integrated. This would reduce bureaucracy and make services more streamlined.
Tax Credit System
There is widespread criticism of the current UK tax credit system because of its restrictive eligibility and complex delivery. An independent Scotland would be able to simplify the system, including the way in which parents receive support for childcare costs, which is often a barrier to making work pay for low-income parents.
Immigration
The UK's new points-based immigration system has introduced a number of new burdens for international students, colleges and universities, potentially jeopardising Scotland's international reputation as an attractive and welcoming destination. An independent Scotland would provide us with the powers to offer an immigration system which more closely meets our priorities.
Transitions
An independent Scotland would have the powers to simplify the way people are supported financially through the transitions of their lives, with the possibility of moving towards a single payments system. Integration of the rules and processes around employment and housing benefits, training incentives, student support and supported employment would offer a coherent progression path into employment. This would also enable a sustainable approach to supporting individual additional needs, including disability, dependants and childcare.
Student Support
An independent Scotland would allow us to have full responsibility for the student support system, without the need for UK Government approval of certain aspects, such as loan interest rates and repayment thresholds. Control over borrowing would enable us to further fund the move from loans to grants. This government has already begun the move from loans to grants by investing £38 million to introduce grants for up to 20,000 part-time students. Borrowing powers would also increase our capacity to fund infrastructure for schools, colleges and universities.
Collaboration
There are many existing institutional relationships between Scotland and the rest of the UK. For example, the Scottish Funding Council collaborates with other UK funding bodies to assess the quality of research. There is no reason why this, and other similar activities, should not continue in an independent Scotland where this is mutually beneficial.
Independence would of course allow people to study outside Scotland, and to collaborate internationally in research and other areas.
Since coming to office in 2007 the Scottish Government has:
- abolished graduate endowment fees and replaced loans with grants for part-time students, benefiting up to 70,000 students
- provided £16 million to institutions each year to alleviate student hardship
- introduced Curriculum for Excellence, the biggest reform of Scotland's education system in a generation, aimed at improving learning and teaching. It will give all children and young people access to a broad general education to enable them to develop skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work
- introduced an ambitious new framework of opportunities, in partnership with Scotland's local authorities, to help children get the best start in life and provide a strong platform for Scotland's future success
- created Skills Development Scotland, a national skills body and catalyst for improved performance and better joint working on skills
Key Questions:
In what ways would an independent Scotland further enhance opportunities in education and lifelong learning?
In what ways could education and lifelong learning support or integrate with other policy areas in an independent Scotland?
How could the benefits and skills and lifelong learning systems work together more effectively to help people disadvantaged by the current system?
How would responsibility for a Scottish Inland Revenue help us to build a better system of financial support for students on low incomes with children?
Fiona Hyslop MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning
Scotland's people are its most important resource and greatest economic asset. Our children must be given the best start in life, and education must provide opportunities to make them successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors to society.
We have an education system which is highly regarded around the globe - and rightly so - but we cannot afford to be complacent in an increasingly competitive and fast-changing world. That is why the Scottish Government is taking action to make sure our education, training and lifelong learning are fit for purpose in the 21st Century.
We are making changes that will focus on giving every child a strong start in life and a school education that will enable them to succeed and gain the skills they need to play a productive part in our society. We are also working hard to remove barriers which prevent people from participating in skills development and realising their potential.
Devolution has shown that the Scottish Parliament and Government, working with Scottish local authorities and other partners in the private and voluntary sectors, can make the right choices for Scotland's education. This demonstrates what could be achieved if Scotland had control over other important areas of our national life.
But we could do so much more if all the levers of government were harnessed to our national ambition. Full responsibility for our own affairs and fiscal framework would allow us to develop coherent policies on benefits, tax credits and employment support that would help our nation flourish.
I hope you will join the debate on deciding these vitally important issues for Scotland.
