The Scottish education system is traditionally broad-based, flexible and inclusive. The following information covers three main sectors – education at school, at further education colleges and higher education institutions, including universities.
Scottish Schools
In Scotland, children begin school between the ages of 4.5 and 5.5 years of age, depending on their date of birth. They spend seven years in primary school and at least four years in (non-selective) secondary school. The Scottish Qualifications Authority provides the National Qualifications (NQs) that pupils take in secondary school. Subjects are taken at Standard, Intermediate, Higher or Advanced Higher grade, individually or in various groups. There are also vocationally-oriented Skills for Work Courses. A new certificate called the Scottish Baccalaureate was introduced in August 2009.
Although compulsory schooling ends at the age of 16, most pupils stay on at school until they are 17 or 18. Over 50% of school leavers go on to full time further or higher education. Most pupils attend state schools run by local authorities. Just over 4% of pupils attend independent or private, fee-paying schools.
Try these sites for more detailed information about schools in Scotland.
http://www.scottishschoolsonline.gov.uk/ - Scottish Schools Online.
http://www.scis.org.uk/ - Scottish Council of Independent Schools.
Further Education in Scotland
Scotland has 43 colleges of further education, funded by the Scottish Funding Council. They provide a broad range of courses, mainly for people over the age of sixteen. Courses include: school-level National Qualifications, work-related courses, higher education courses below degree level, community based learning, leisure classes and courses giving access to higher education.
Try these sites for more detailed information about colleges in Scotland.
http://www.ascol.org.uk/colleges.cfm - Association of Scottish Colleges
http://www.scotlandscollegesinternational.com/ - Scotland’s Colleges International
Higher Education in Scotland
Scotland has 20 higher education institutions, including the Open University (OU) and the UHI Millennium Institute. Most of the institutions are universities or colleges of higher education.
The Open University is a UK-wide organization that specializes in distance or ‘open’ learning. Most OU courses are available throughout Europe. Some of them are available in many other parts of the world. More than 25,000 OU students live outside the UK.
The UHI (University of the Highlands and Islands) is a partnership of 13 colleges and 2 research institutions, all based in the Highlands and Islands.
Courses offered range from one-year Higher National Certificates (HNCs) to postgraduate doctoral qualifications. Scottish undergraduate Honours degrees normally take 4 years to complete. However, it is possible to do an Ordinary or General degree in 3 years.
Although students in the rest of the UK have to pay fees, the Scottish Government has abolished tuition fees throughout Scotland (this applies to undergraduates coming over from European Union countries to study in Scotland as well as to those whose home base is in Scotland).
Try these sites for more detailed information about higher education in Scotland.
http://www.diverseroutes.co.uk/index.htm - Diverse Routes into Higher Education
http://www.scotlandscholarship.com/ - International Scholarship Programme
http://www.scotlandistheplace.co.uk/ - Study in Scotland
http://www.talentscotland.com/ - Talent Scotland (Living and Working in Scotland)