Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Participation in Post-Compulsory Learning in Scotland

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
School Dropout and Completion

  • 2143 Accesses

Abstract

The Scottish education system has no generally recognised concept of school completion or graduation. After the age of 16, when education ceases to be compulsory, the level, duration, mode and content of learning vary widely, and there is no standard or benchmark by which to judge whether an individual has completed secondary education. The system’s key characteristic is flexibility; post-­compulsory education and training comprise a ‘climbing frame’ with multiple entry and exit points rather than pre-determined lines or programs leading to fixed standards to be achieved by all learners. This chapter therefore focuses on levels of participation in post-compulsory learning. It also refers more briefly to the attainment of those who participate, although unlike many other countries, ‘participation’ and ‘attainment’ are the subjects of separate discourses in Scotland.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    An earlier report cited a figure of ‘just under 70%’ for the same year (Scottish Executive, 2006a). A more recent estimate, supplied by the Scottish Government, shows 72.4% of Scottish 15- to 19-year-olds in education in 2006 (this includes apprenticeships but excludes Skillseeker training programs). The comparable figure for the UK was 75.7% and the OECD average was 83.0%.

  2. 2.

    However, more determinist interpretations of cultural theories suggest that the total stock of cultural capital is fixed. Goldthorpe (2000) makes this point to argue that cultural-capital theories cannot account for educational expansion.

References

  • Bernstein, B. (1971). Class, codes and control (Vol. 1). London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boudon, R. (1974). Education, opportunity and social inequality. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourdieu, P. (1997). The forms of capital. In A. H. Halsey, H. Lauder, P. Brown, & A. Stuart Wells (Eds.), Education: Culture, economy, society (pp. 46–58). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cambridge Policy Consultants (CPC). (2006). Evaluation of modern apprenticeships and skillseekers. Final Report. Cambridge, UK: CPC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Croxford, L. (2009). Change over time in the contexts, outcomes and inequalities of secondary schooling in Scotland, 1985–2005. Edinburgh, UK: The Scottish Government.

    Google Scholar 

  • Croxford, L., Howieson, C., Iannelli, C., & Ozga, J. (2002). Education Maintenance Allowances: Evaluation of the East Ayrshire pilot. Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Executive.

    Google Scholar 

  • Croxford, L., Iannelli, C., & Shapira, M. (2007). Documentation of youth cohort time series (EYT Working Paper 20). Edinburgh, UK: CES, University of Edinburgh.

    Google Scholar 

  • Croxford, L., Ozga, J., & Provan, F. (2004). Education Maintenance Allowances: Attainment of national qualifications in the Scottish pilots. Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Executive.

    Google Scholar 

  • Curriculum Review Group. (2004). A curriculum for excellence. Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Executive.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eddy Adams Consultants and Smart Consultancy. (2005). Mapping employability and support services for disengaged young people. Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Executive.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feinstein, L., Duckworth, K., & Sabates, R. (2008). Education and the family: Passing success across the generations. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finlay, I., Sheridan, M., McKay, J., & Nudzor, H. (2008, September). Young people on the margins: In need of more choices and more chances. Paper to BERA Annual Conference, Edinburgh, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuller, A., & Unwin, L. (2003). Creating a ‘Modern Apprenticeship’: A critique of the UK’s multi-sector, social inclusion approach. Journal of Education and Work, 16(1), 5–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gasteen, A., Houston, J., & Davidson, C. (2003). Scottish educational qualifications: The returns to educational routes. Research Report for the Scottish Economic Policy Network (Scotecon), Stirling, from scotecon.net.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldthorpe, J. (2000). On sociology. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hannan, D., Smyth, E., Raffe, D., Martin, C., Brannen, K., Rutjes, H., Becker, K., & Werquin, P. (1998). Education, vocational training and labour market transitions among lower level school leavers in four European countries. Final Report. Dublin, Ireland: ESRI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hatcher, R. (1998). Class differentiation in education: Rational choices? British Journal of Sociology of Education, 19(1), 5–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heckman, J., & Masterov, D. (2004). The productivity argument for investing in young children (Working Paper 5). Invest in Kids Working Group, Committee for Economic Development. Retrieved December 19, 2008, from. http://jenni.uchicago.edu/Invest

  • Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE). (2007). Preparing for work: A report on the Skills for Work pilot programme. Livingston, Scotland: HMIE.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodkinson, P., Sparkes, A., & Hodkinson, H. (1996). Triumphs and tears: Young people, markets and the transition from school to work. London: David Fulton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howieson, C. (2003). Destinations of early leavers (Special CES Briefing No. 28). Edinburgh, UK: CES, University of Edinburgh.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howieson, C., & Iannelli, C. (2008). The effects of low attainment on young people’s outcomes at age 22–23 in Scotland. British Journal of Educational Research, 34(2), 269–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, G., & Wallace, C. (1992). Youth, family and citizenship. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamb, S. (2008). Alternative pathways to high school graduation: An international comparison (Report No. 7, California Dropout Research Project). Santa Barbara, CA: UCSB.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leney, T. (2004). Achieving the Lisbon goal: The contribution of VET. Final Report to the European Commission. London: QCA.

    Google Scholar 

  • McConnell, J. (2006). Scotland’s future: Thinking for the long term. Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Executive.

    Google Scholar 

  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (1998). Pathways and participation in vocational and technical education and training. Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2007). Quality and equity of schooling in Scotland. Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paterson, L., & Raffe, D. (1995). Staying-on in Scotland: 1985–1991. Oxford Review of Education, 21(1), 3–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raffe, D. (1984). Fourteen to eighteen: The changing pattern of schooling in Scotland. Aberdeen, UK: Aberdeen University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raffe, D. (2007). Making haste slowly: The evolution of a unified qualifications framework in Scotland. European Journal of Education, 42(4), 485–502.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raffe, D., Croxford, L., Iannelli, C., Shapira, M., & Howieson, C. (2006). Social-class inequalities in education in England and Scotland (Special CES Briefing No. 40). Edinburgh, UK: CES, University of Edinburgh.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raffe, D., Howieson, C., & Tinklin, T. (2007). The impact of a unified curriculum and qualifications system: The Higher Still reform of post-16 education in Scotland. British Educational Research Journal, 33(4), 479–508.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scottish Executive. (1999). Implementing inclusiveness, realising potential. Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Executive.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scottish Executive. (2005). Employability framework for Scotland: Report of the NEET workstream. Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Executive.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scottish Executive. (2006a). More Choices, More Chances: A strategy to reduce the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training in Scotland. Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Executive.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scottish Executive. (2006b). Building on our success: Improving modern apprenticeships (Consultation Paper). Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Executive.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scottish Funding Council (SFC). (2008a). Learning for all: Second update report on measures of success. Edinburgh, UK: SFC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scottish Funding Council (SFC). (2008b). Student and staff performance indicators for further education colleges in Scotland 2006–07. Edinburgh, UK: SFC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scottish Government. (2007a). The age participation index for Scotland 2005–06 (Statistics Publication Notice). Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Government.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scottish Government. (2007b). Destinations of leavers from Scottish schools: 2006/07 (Statistics Publication Notice). Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Government.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scottish Government. (2007c). Skills for Scotland: A lifelong skills strategy (Statistics Publication Notice). Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Government.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scottish Government. (2008a). A consultation on the next generation of national qualifications in Scotland. Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Government.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scottish Government. (2008b). Curriculum for excellence: Building the curriculum 3: A framework for teaching and learning. Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Government.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scottish Government. (2008c). Pupils in Scotland, 2007 (Statistical Bulletin Edn/B1/2008/1). Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Government.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scottish Government. (2008d). 16+ Learning Choices: First step activity and consultation report (Consultation Document). Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Government.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smart Consultancy and Eddy Adams Consultants. (2006). Scottish Enterprise National Get Ready for Work programme: Evaluation 2002–2006. Glasgow, UK: Scottish Enterprise.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spielhofer, T., & Walker, M. (2008). Evaluation of Skills for Work pilot courses. Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Government.

    Google Scholar 

  • SQW. (2005). The national evaluation of the Careers Scotland Inclusiveness Projects. Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Executive.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steedman, H., & Stoney, S. (2004). Disengagement 14-16: Context and evidence (Discussion Paper 654). London: Centre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics.

    Google Scholar 

  • York Consulting. (2005). Literature review of the NEET group. Edinburgh, UK: Scottish Executive.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Educational Sociology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

    David Raffe

Authors
  1. David Raffe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Victoria, Australia

    Stephen Lamb

  2. NIFU STEP, Wergelandsveien 7, Oslo, 0167, Norway

    Eifred Markussen

  3. , Centre for Post-Compulsory Education and, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Victoria, Australia

    Richard Teese

  4. Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Victoria, Australia

    John Polesel

  5. NIFU STEP, Wergelandsveien 7, Oslo, 0167, Norway

    Nina Sandberg

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Raffe, D. (2011). Participation in Post-Compulsory Learning in Scotland. In: Lamb, S., Markussen, E., Teese, R., Polesel, J., Sandberg, N. (eds) School Dropout and Completion. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9763-7_7

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation