The implementation of a set of curriculum standards in Scottish public schools has raised some fears among Scottish teachers of English over whether such strict guidelines will impede the use of literary education to foster students' personal growth. Previously, freed from many curricular restrictions by a series of reforms in the 1960s and 1970s, instructors of English in Scotland saw their role as facilitators of personal growth and creative interaction through literature. The notion of public accountability in the form of curriculum standards and a nationwide exam in the students' final year of school raised concerns that such personal growth would be replaced by mere basic skills instruction and approved-text edification. However, the new curriculum standards, compiled in a handbook called "Scottish Certificate of Education; Standard Grade: Arrangements in English at Foundation, General, and Credit Levels," have been swiftly and completely implemented in Scotland's 450 schools, due to the size of the country; its 12 small, tightly knit educational districts; and a team of administrators and teachers that can be called together to take part in curriculum development. Additionally, teachers have found ways to compromise between rigid standards and personal growth, developing classroom techniques that blend the two objectives. The success of the project suggests that a reconciliation between the liberties of personal growth and the strictures of "public accountability" is possible. (JC)