Scottish education

Scottish education produces thinkers who:

• are pro-active
• are independent thinkers
• have relevant skills
• have marketable skills

Scottish education has a long, distinguished and respected educational history:

• 1326 - First Scottish Parliament meets
• 1413 - St Andrews University founded
• 1696 - The Education Act led to the first system of general public education
• 1872 - The Education Act established public schools, funded by local taxation. Attendance is compulsory
• 1997 - SQA formed from Scottish Vocational Education Council and Scottish Examining Board
• 1999 - devolution leads to re-founding of Scottish Parliament

Scottish education has contributed significantly to developments in science and technology over hundreds of years.

Some examples of individuals educated in Scotland who have made important contributions to modern living include:

• James Watt, a Scottish inventor and engineer who made important improvements to the steam engine
• Alexander Graham Bell who was the first person to patent the telephone in 1876
• John Dunlop, who is widely credited with inventing the modern rubber tyre
• John Logie Baird, who in 1927 gave the world's first demonstration of true television
• The Roslin Institute near Edinburgh, which in 1996 successfully cloned a mammal for the first time - Dolly the sheep