Introduction

This topic provides an overview of the political, social and economic situation in Scotland, a constituent part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain (Scotland, England and Wales) and Northern Ireland.

Constitution

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy with the ability to make and pass legislation belonging to the elected Parliament. In recent years, certain powers and responsibilities have been devolved to elected bodies in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. In 1999 a new Scottish Parliament and Scottish Executive (officially referred to as the Scottish Government since 2007) were established with legislative and executive responsibility for a wide range of devolved matters - including education, training and lifelong learning.

Population and Language

In 2016, the population of the United Kingdom was estimated to be 65.6 million (ONS, 2017). Scotland, with an area of 7,792,500 hectares, accounts for about a third of the total area of the United Kingdom. In 2016 the estimate of Scotland’s population was 5.4 million (NRS, 2017) - 8.2% of the UK population.

The official language in Scotland is English. Gaelic and Scots are officially recognised minority languages.

Education

Education, training and lifelong learning are key factors in the devolved Scottish Government’s policies to develop national economic and personal capacity. Scotland’s educational system has always been separate from those of its United Kingdom and Northern Ireland partner countries.

The establishment of the Scottish Parliament further reinforced the country’s sense of ownership of education and the distinctiveness of the many elements constituting it or influencing it. These include:

• The English, Gaelic and Scots languages
• Significant roles played by the churches
• The welcome given to immigrant communities
• Interactions between education and industry/commerce