Hansard

Marilyn Livingstone is right to speak favourably of the school-college partnerships. The Government has asked colleges to focus provision in that area on the secondary 3 to secondary 6 age group, which is very much in order and in keeping with the delivery of the senior phase of curriculum for excellence.

It is important to recognise that for school pupils, particularly younger pupils, schools are the primary—although not the sole—provider of those experiences. However, there is another range of partners in the form of youth organisations and youth work to meet that need.

Colleges and local authorities are free to respond in their own way to local needs and to do work in that area with the younger age group if they so wish. However, members should be reassured that we are continuing to focus our activity on the S3 to S6 age group with regard to curriculum for excellence. That is consistent with long-standing practice and with the original guidance that the Labour and Liberal parties issued on the lifelong partners strategy.