AFLAGSHIP programme to make school pupils more enterprising by linking with local business has come under attack for widespread failure.
The Scottish Executive's own research into the Determined to Succeed programme shows that only half of councils, in the first two years of the scheme, felt they had made progress in establishing partnerships between schools and businesses.
Some found it hard to engage with local businesses, and in some council areas, the reason given was that there are not enough local enterprises with which to form alliances.
Jack McConnell, the first minister, promised when it was launched three years ago that all primary, secondary, and special schools would develop partnership agreements with local businesses and other organisations.
The failure to achieve that, half way through the programme, raised concerns yesterday from David Ward, director of the Institute of Directors in Scotland. "I'm not sure the local authorities on their own are the best people to lead this, " he said.
"It's hard to develop an enterprising spirit without involving entrepreneurs."A year ago it was revealed the initiative was so confusing more than half the businesses participating did not even know they were involved in it.
The scheme has been given GBP2m by Sir Tom Hunter, the millionaire and philanthropist.
Determined to Succeed was intended to encourage a more enterprising culture, or a "can do, will do" attitude among Scottish schoolchildren, in response to the country's notoriously low business birthrate.
It was set up in 2003, and over a five-year period, the executive has put GBP68m into implementing it.
The target was to increase those school pupils engaged in enterprise education from 10per cent in 2003 to 100per cent by 2008.
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