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A one stop shop for teaching resources about Scotland - including the Scots language - will be developed to give young people the opportunity to learn about our nation's heritage and culture.

Studying Scotland is a new online resource which will bring together existing material about Scottish elements of the curriculum. It will give Scots an equal footing with other subjects, helping to cement the place of the language in our schools.

That forms part of the Scottish Government's response to the recommendations of the Scots Language Working Group which has been published today.

Education Secretary Michael Russell said:

"Scotland has a rich heritage across language, literature, music, art and history and I believe it's important that our young people have the opportunity to learn about this in school.

"Curriculum for Excellence encourages teachers to join up learning across subjects and this new resource will maximise the opportunities for young people to learn about Scotland and Scots right across the curriculum. It will also help make sure future generations are aware of the Scots language and its important place in both our history and future."

Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop said:

"Scots is an important part of our nation's cultural and linguistic heritage. It is also a living language and my response to the Scots Language Working Group report sets out the steps we are taking to support and strengthen this valuable part of Scottish life.

"I have considered in detail how the Working Group's recommendations are, or can be, put into practice. A number relate to education and I am confident that this new resource, along with the other measures in our response, will increase the usage of Scots in the classroom and allow us to make real progress in our ambition to raise the profile of the language and enhance its status."

Background

Studying Scotland is being developed by Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) and will bring together existing material about Scottish elements of the curriculum to allow a more coherent approach to the study of Scotland in the context of Curriculum for Excellence.

The Scottish Government's response to the Ministerial Working Group on the Scots Language can be accessed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/03/18094509

The Scots Language Working Group published its report on November 30, 2010 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2010/11/30105023