Over 500 years ago, the Education Act was passed by the parliament in Scotland making the education of the sons of Scottish nobles compulsory – one of this country's many 'firsts' in the world.

For those who like exact dates, it was in 1496 – the same year that Leonardo da Vinci flew his first test flight, albeit unsuccessfully.

While it took just over another 400 years before da Vinci's dream became a reality, schooling in Scotland took off much more easily with education at the core of Scots life, although it has been something of a bumpy ride.

An example of this can be seen in the fact that many readers will have not bothered to get past that date in my introduction. Dates have unfortunately gained a reputation for being the things that tie endless stories of kings, corpses and coronations together.

This is certainly a truism in Scotland where the average person's grasp of events from the nation's past are thin. For many, their only brush with history is when delivering the lyrics of a passionate song usually delivered with gusto at sporting events.

Flower of Scotland is a wonderful combination: a stirring anthem and a history lesson. What a marvellous achievement it would be to arouse the same passion in people about the rest of this proud nation's history

This was evidenced by a study of 3,000 16 year-old pupils in 1999 which revealed their real ignorance of events and people in Scotland's past. When offered reasons as to why Scotland became part of the United Kingdom in 1707, for example, 37 per cent selected 'because English forces conquered it' and 28 per cent 'as the result of a referendum'. Only 24 per cent opted for 'the Scots Parliament voted for it'.

The Battle of Culloden was seen as a conflict between 'wholly Scottish and wholly English armies' by 41 per cent; just 25 per cent opted for 'many Scots fought against Prince Charles'.

The research which focused upon 16 year-olds' knowledge of Scottish history pointed to ignorance even of the role of Scots inventors and engineers in the industrial revolution. This in the land of the Enlightenment.

This is an unacceptable situation which must be reversed. Scotland's young people must reclaim the past and understand this nation's history for what it really is; a story of immense achievement in industry, medicine, science, law and literature on a scale which belies the size of the population.

That is why this administration is committed to ambitious curriculum reform. Curriculum for Excellence is challenging teachers to think about how they can continuously develop their teaching for the benefit of pupils.

We want young people to become confident individuals who can develop their own sense of identity through an understanding of the events that have shaped their community and country.

Learning and Teaching Scotland have recently released the draft outcomes for social studies under the new Curriculum for Excellence. Social studies offer many opportunities for young people to develop their knowledge of their local area, of Scotland, and of Scotland's place in the world.

One of these outcomes is to equip pupils with the ability to explain why a group of people from beyond Scotland have settled here in the past and discuss the impact they have had on the life and culture of Scotland. If citizenship today shapes the curriculum, then the multicultural origins of the country, the imperial past, Irish migration in the 19th Century and the reasons for the arrival of more recent migrants should be studied.

Last year, to coincide with the anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade, some Scottish pupils studied the impact the trade had on Scotland's economy; how Scots owned almost a third of all the slaves in Jamaica and that much of the wealth flooding into the country was built on this bloody trade. They also learned, however, that Scotland played a leading role in its abolition.

Most importantly, they studied the lives of those who were involved - those who benefited and those who suffered - as well as the trade's legacy and how it has shaped Scotland's cities and even their own lives today.

This is the key to bringing history and indeed the school curriculum to life in Scotland. By making history relevant to the lives of children today, we can create a better understanding of how Scotland came to be, where it is now and the part the nation could play in shaping the future.

Many projects based around people and events which went on to make Scotland stand out have been taking place in schools across the country and, indeed some schools were already taking this approach to teaching before the pilot studies were launched.

This administration, however, wants to ensure that all children are given the same opportunities to be part of a more dynamic and relevant learning process.

Scotland has become a proud nation because of decisions which have been experienced and achievements in its past. Here is an opportunity to make Scotland's history and achievements continually relevant to shaping our children's future.

Source: Fiona Hyslop The Scotsman, Monday, 21st January, 2008

Pledge to reclaim Scottish history for our children
Source: FIONA MACLEOD The Scotsman, Monday, 21st January, 2008