The theory and practice of equal opportunities in Scotland

Education and equality, as has been seen in earlier issues of Scottish Affairs, arc currently areas of interest and concern in Scotland (Maclnally (1993); Brown (1993); Macintosh (1993)). In fact, they are of course areas that have long been of interest and concern. In this article I will take a look at 'equality of opportunity' over time in Scotland, arguing that there has been a shift from a traditional concept that was more or less exclusively concerned with equal opportunity in terms of socio-economic status, or social background, to a modern-day concept that emphasises equal opportunity in terms of race and gender. The first sections of this article draw on the literature about the traditional concept of 'equality of opportunity'. I will then go on to look firstly at literature on the more recent form of the concept, and secondly to present some findings from my own research into the attitudes of pupils towards equal opportunities policies, covering race and gender, in a contemporary school. In the course of the article, it will become apparent that while there have been many developments and changes in ideas about an equal educational opportunity 'for all', a common thread can be traced over the centuries, enduring until the present day. This 'thread' is an underlying emphasis on individualism, rather than a truly collective or structural concept of 'equality of opportunity'. I conclude by arguing that achieving a structural understanding of 'equal opportunities' is still a considerable way off, although this is not necessarily cause for undue pessimism.