While “the vast majority” of people believe in the strengths of the Scottish comprehensive system, they are not complacent and they want improvement, the Executive acknowledges.

“There are concerns about resourcing, the pace of change, discipline, class sizes, the relevance of what children learn and the volume of assessment.

They want choices so that all our children and young people share the opportunities currently enjoyed by the majority.”

The Executive is also prepared to face up to “radical new thinking about the way schools are designed, built and managed, about the way teachers teach, about the curriculum, and about the interaction between pupils, parents, community and school.

“It means making sure that all Scottish schools play a full part in lifelong learning. We must break down the barriers that get in the way of schools working flexibly with informal education, with further education colleges, with employers and with universities.”