Curriculum for Excellence (Careers in Business)

– in the Scottish Parliament at on 8 March 2012.

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Photo of Colin Beattie Colin Beattie Scottish National Party

8. To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the curriculum for excellence places sufficient emphasis on preparing young people for a career in business. (S4O-00776)

Photo of Michael Russell Michael Russell Scottish National Party

The importance of developing enterprise skills and entrepreneurial behaviour is recognised in curriculum for excellence as beginning at an early age, through primary school and into secondary school and further and higher education establishments. Indeed, curriculum for excellence is delivering that with the incorporation of determined to succeed, our strategy for enterprise in education.

Curriculum for excellence also recognises the importance of business skills, which is why the issue features in many of the curricular areas. In particular, the social studies guidance clearly states that children and young people will

“engage in activities which encourage enterprising attitudes” and

“develop an understanding of concepts that encourage enterprise and” challenge

“business”.

Photo of Colin Beattie Colin Beattie Scottish National Party

It has become evident in the Midlothian part of my constituency that schools are reducing the teaching of business-related subjects. That must affect employability and, ultimately, our economic competitiveness. Will the cabinet secretary consider whether it would be appropriate to introduce guidelines to preserve important core subjects?

Photo of Michael Russell Michael Russell Scottish National Party

Business education and economic issues were considered by an excellence group. Indeed, I hope that every local authority is considering the reports of those excellence groups, which have been very productive.

We have a distributed system of education with considerable power at local authority and school level to vary the curriculum and choose local priorities. I do not want to threaten that, but I hope that every local authority is considering employability as a key element of education, which will include ensuring that young people are skilled up for enterprise and business.