ABSTRACT
Scotland’s social and cultural identity is defined largely by its geography and history. Its political, educational, legal and religious systems make Scotland unique within the UK (Humes and Bryce, 2003). This chapter aims to identify the distinguishing structures and characteristics of the Scottish education system. It explores the nature and functioning of the various stakeholders in Scottish education. It illustrates the systems of governance of education in Scotland. The structure and nature of the curriculum and assessment in Scotland are examined. It also explores the standards for initial teacher education and discusses the preparation necessary for a newly qualified teacher to enter the profession in Scotland.2
