A History of Core Skills Policy Development in Scotland

The primary aim of the paper is to critically review the development of policy and practice in the area of Core Skills within both the compulsory and post- compulsory years of education. The research design is based upon an analysis of policy documents, interviews with key informants and the use of secondary data sources. An historical analysis for the period 1979-2006 is also provided of policy development in the field of Core Skills including the demand for generic foundation skills from employers. The main conclusion of the research is that policy-makers in Scotland are currently at a cross-roads with the very notion of generic Core Skills and that this, in turn, could lead to the abandonment of the policy of ‘embedding’ skills within the school and college curriculum.