Qualifications

Qualifications can have a significant role to play in enabling young people to develop the four capacities and the range of skills for life and skills for work they require.

The qualifications system must therefore provide a range of opportunities to meet the needs of all young people, whether aspiring to achievements at SCQF level 1 or at SCQF level 7.

Qualifications should both reflect the learning that has taken place and develop pathways to the next stage of learning and life. Their credibility - to learners, parents, employers, further and higher education providers alike - must be assured.

It is for these reasons that the portfolio of qualifications is being revised from 2013 to reflect the values, purposes and principles of Curriculum for Excellence and the aspirations of Scotland in the 21st century.

A young person's progress should be assessed in ways and at points appropriate to meet their learning needs.

There should be no need for young people to take qualifications prior to S4. The main exceptions to this are the Skills for Work qualifications, which were designed principally for young people in the age range 14-16 and at Higher.

In the senior phase, there should be a continued focus on enabling young people to develop the capabilities and attributes of successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.

To help promote the benefits of young people's wider achievements to employers, higher education, further education and others, proposals are being developed with local authorities and schools to ensure that young people's wider achievements beyond National Qualifications are recognised more effectively.

Baccalaureates

Curriculum planners should take account of the Government commitment to introduce Scottish Science and Language Baccalaureates before the end of this parliamentary term.

The awards will comprise Higher and Advanced Higher courses together with an interdisciplinary project.

The aims of these awards are to:

• encourage more pupils to study science and language subjects in upper secondary school
• raise the status of S6
• help schools to develop greater links with higher education, colleges and employers.

This is intended to give young people the chance to work across subject boundaries, study a topic in greater depth and link their learning to areas of future interest in higher education or employment.