The Scottish Government

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning

Friday, November 30, 2007

In May of this year the people of Scotland voted for a new approach and better future for Scotland. Now we are asking you to take part in a National Conversation on whether more powers would be beneficial for our country.

For example, skills for work is a devolved area, but the UK Government often leads in the design of employment and skills policies. UK Government employment and benefit-related policies generally address the wider skills needs of the UK but don't always take account of what's best for Scotland.

We recently launched the first ever skills strategy for Scotland 'Skills for Scotland' to address Scotland's skills issues, some of which are different from those in the rest of the UK. Further transfer of powers in the area of employment services could provide greater coherence and accountability for delivery of employment and skills development policy.

We just have to look to small independent countries across the water to see that further powers could help Scotland become smarter.

We could deliver a more comprehensive early years strategy if we had more say over reserved areas. The ability to set maternity and paternity leave, for example, would allow us to support parents in those crucial early years. We need only look to Iceland to see the benefits. It can set maternity and paternity rules which currently give fathers three months leave when mothers decide to return to work. This not only makes the return to work easier for mothers but also ensures fathers take more interest in their child's upbringing.

Our National Conversation is the first step to exploring what extra powers could do for Scotland - I for one am convinced we would thrive and compete on the world stage, providing a better standard of living and quality of life for families.

This blog is now closed to further comments.

Comments

[Latest First] | [Earliest First] Page: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

• 11. Greg - Glasgow

  Thursday, October 4, 2007 09:48

  My fiancee is a PhD student and recently began teaching 4th year Education students. These students she anticipated would be highly motivated, confident and ready to become Scotland's next teachers. While they certainly possess these traits she was astonished to discover the severe lack of confidence they have in their own abilities and ideas... use to merely following instructions laid out in policy they feel insecure in trying anything to improve their abilities or ideas further if it deviates from the textbook even slightly. She proudly is working to rectify this through teaching creative learning.
  
  I myself grew up and was educated in the American system, with its own flaws certainly but some good ideas as well. Firstly, my University(College in American speak) required every student to conduct a community service role before they could graduate. This was a top tier nationally ranked college but required the students to work in a soup kitchen, the scouts, Red Cross, something, anything to graduate... and give them skills that contribute to society.
  
  Further, there was the Federal Work Study Programme... to pay for the above mentioned University (quite expensive) I was required to work and earn my way. The Federal Government subsidized my tuition in return for me working for the College. This also provided me with a monthly paycheck to pay for books and general living costs.
  
  I am not saying these positions are ideal for Scotland, but investment in abilities is important, if they provide confidence and experience to those that need to develop skills. I disagree with 6. John, yes crime should be punished but instilling heavy justice only developes an authoritarian culture and is no better than the students I first mentioned who lack confidence in themselves because of the constraints they feel they are under which prevents creative development and positive contributions to the society.

• 12. kevpb - Edinburgh

  Thursday, October 4, 2007 12:11

  (8).
  ive no time for politicians who want to claim expenses for representing me in parliament .
  
  Well said Wullieb 129 MSP and they each claimed on average £80,000.00 each last year, bunch of parasites.
  
  But we've a better chance of cleaning out the dead beats and wasters if we were Independent and have MP's which are more accountable to the people of Scotland. Rather than a half way house of "shadow" MP's.
  No?
  Our MSP have their hand's tied and controlled by Westminster,when we are Independent we can perhaps have people more interested in Scotland rather than the trough.
  
  The MSP Expenses are noted and listed perhaps "bright" people like yourself should vote out the carpet baggers and house baron's.
  
  Just a thought.
  
  Regards
  
  
  
  
  

• 13. Mandy - Glasgow

  Thursday, October 4, 2007 14:43

  Independence will not end greed, perhaps robots in place of MSP's will. People I know who have their degree have moved away, not because Scotland is bad it's because they want to broaden their outlook.

• 14. Daye Tucker - Balfron, G63 0LF

  Friday, October 5, 2007 18:33

  Apprenticeships should be inclusive. B & Q have successfully filled their skills gap using this model. However, I believe skills should be identified and valued at an early age in schools. Fiona Hyslop has endorsed the concept by stating in the Skills and Lifelong Learning Strategy that Practical Skills MUST be viewed on a parity with Academic skills. Schools MUST implement the Curriculum for Excellence. The current bad practice of "box ticking" should no longer be tolerated. This would lead to thousands of young people in schools having their practical potential recognised at last, which in turn will lead to confidence, economic independence and a happier, healthier more successful Scotland.

• 15. Gordon Murray - Livingston

  Sunday, October 7, 2007 18:14

  #14. Daye Tucker - Balfron, G63 0LF
  Friday, October 5, 2007 18:33
  
  I agree, what is the purpose of education and apprenticeships?
  
  Is it just to keep the unemployment statistics down or is it to equip the country to function efficiently and be able to compete globally?
  
  I would say not everyone can be, or even needs to be, a university professor, a sports star or an artist.
  
  We need people trained and appreciated, to work at every strata of the job market.
  
  Howsabout we start by asking what does the country need, is it more media studies specialists, or is it folk with skills they can actually sell on the jobs market?
  
  We need sportsmen & women to represent us and to help us feel collective pride in ourselves and our society.
  We should e.g. be able to do what New Zealand has done in rugby union. The 'Mighty All Blacks' come from a nation with less going for it in terms of resources than Scotland has.
  
  Provide our kids with the amenities and facilities they need to fulfil their untapped potential, and stop selling off school playing fields for housing and supermarkets.
  This would help staunch the emigration of talent out of the country.
  
  Without a 'professional' waiting staff encouraging customers to use a hotel or restaurant and become return customers, the fancy TV chef in the kitchen will have no-one to cook for, yet these are the ones too often on minimum wage and minimum recognition or job satisfaction.
  
  We should be giving credit and recognition to those people, not necessarily academic or celebrated, but who are the lifeblood of the economy, the people 'at the sharp end' getting their hands dirty.
  
  Our education system is governed and planned by academics who too often fail to value the contribution of the artisan, viewing a lack of academic excellence or progression as failure, period.
  Academia is vitally important but is not the panacea it is being asked to be in this country.
  
  It seems everywhere we turn there is a new university but where are the facilities for bringing on the trades?
  
  We need quality architects, but without skilled builders they are useless, we should value the builder rather than be looking down at our collective noses at class stereotypes.
  
  I would also suggest that we more rigorously police who can call themselves 'technicians' or 'engineers':
  
  Craftsman: time served apprentice.
  
  Technician: as above plus ordinary level technical qualification.
  
  Technician Engineer: as above plus higher-level technical qualification.
  
  Engineer: as above plus degree level technical qualification.
  Etc,.
  
  The powers that be in this country, which has provided the world with many of the most gifted engineers in history, still regards an engineer as a boiler suited 'Dan MacPhail', with hammer and 'big shifter', soaked to the skin in manky lubricating oil, and devoid of social graces.
  
  I believe if we are to fully compete as a nation then we must make sure all of these options are respected and valued.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• 16. Gordon Murray - Livingston

  Sunday, October 7, 2007 18:33

  #8. wullieb - bellshill
  Thursday, October 4, 2007 00:44
  
  Isn't there a wee bit of reverse snobbery going on here?
  "Is there for honest poverty
  That hings his head, an a' that?
  The coward slave, we pass him by -
  We dare be poor for a' that!
  For a' that, an a' that!
  Our toils obscure, an a' that,
  The rank is but the guinea's stamp,
  The man's the gowd for a' that."
  
  Perhaps you would have the qualification for parliamentarian should be a year spent as a burger flipper?
  
  What exactly does working 60 hours for £300 qualify you for, and how much confidence would you have in someone asked to run the country able to command less wages than you can?
  
  

• 17. Gordon Murray - Livingston

  Sunday, October 7, 2007 18:44

  "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions.
  Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great."
  Mark Twain
  

• 18. Robert Allan - Strathclyde University Scotland

  Monday, October 8, 2007 11:01

  Scotland needs to look after Scotland first and foremost.
  
  Too often, Scots have a negative attitude towards the country, and it's leaders, and it's no wonder. Scotland's citizens have been treated as second class (and that's a conservative estimation) citizens, and as such their confidence in their own abilities is shot.
  
  A restoration of faith in the leaders is needed and that can only come when a true, genuine and honest leader comes to the fore and puts up a real fight for the people of Scotland, who will insist on proper education and who says that charity begins at home!
  
  How could it be possible for those who are living in relative poverty to take an interest in their country when their country takes no interest in them.
  
  Children in Scotland are born into this poverty, and the future for them is bleak. They didn't choose poverty! They don't have the same opportunities presented to them for employment, or for education, and so can never truly reach the level of Self Actualisation.
  
  The Scottish people are great! Even in poverty, they laugh and joke. People world over comment on how warm and welcoming the Scots are. So even in poverty, the Scots will still give their last penny.
  
  If Scotland is to be great, it has to start by giving the people hope for the future, faith in their leaders, and a belief in themselves that they can be great, that they do count and that each and every person is as important as the next person.
  
  Scottish people are resourceful, resilient and reliable. A proud nation of people who would be proud to go out and work hard. BUT there needs to be something to work hard for! The people need to see the benefits to themselves first, and to their country if they are ever going to stand on their own in an independent Scotland.
  
  It's up to the SNP to show those benefits!!! If the benefits are truly there, then show us, if not, then don't try and pull the wool over our eyes. We have had enough of lies!

• 19. Jake - edinburgh

  Wednesday, October 10, 2007 11:02

  15. Gordon Murray said: We should e.g. be able to do what New Zealand has done in rugby union. The 'Mighty All Blacks' come from a nation with less going for it in terms of resources than Scotland has.
  
  Erm, does that mean Scots should be able to lose?!

• 20. Mandy - Glasgow

  Wednesday, October 10, 2007 14:44

  #17: Individually a responsibility, not a political parties vision of what great is. Be your own man!

[Latest First] | [Earliest First] Page: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]