Education - Special Report

A special report to be published in Holyrood magazine on 28 January 2008

The Scottish Government is preparing itself to extend the reach of education and nurture into the early years, at the same time as the re-skilling and ongoing education of adults in the workforce becomes critical. While the increasing focus on “cradle to grave” across the length of education has been broadly welcomed, questions still remain about whether the education system is reaching everyone that it should be across the breadth of the system.

The Additional Support for Learning Act, which came into force in 2005, was designed to broaden out educational support so that it would become available to a far wider range of people than had been the case previously, including children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties – and to give them and their parents more say in their education. However, several years in, it seems that the legislation is not being implemented effectively enough to make sure that all young people with additional needs are being recognised and supported.

This special report will look at how existing policy and legislation can be used to produce real educational inclusion across the board for all individuals. This will range from the provision of appropriate education and support for children with autistic spectrum disorders and mental health issues to the treatment of young people subject to severe bullying and family problems. It will also look at how the education system can cope with and help young people with extreme behavioural problems and addictions – and the tension between the presumption toward mainstreaming and the need for specialist provision.

Moving into post-16 education, major issues include the high demand for college places that mean some young people desperate to engage with the system are unable to do so, and the ongoing issue of access for people from deprived backgrounds into university. Meanwhile, older people wanting to re-engage with the educational system often find themselves excluded because they can’t afford it.

This special report will be essential reading for anyone working in the field of education, but also for anyone with a stake in the wellbeing and successful development of the Scottish population.