IN PICTURES Student delegates were asked to take photos of education in their own countries Gallery 1 Gallery 2

The conference, in Edinburgh, is being attended by ministers from 52 Commonwealth countries.

Its theme is Closing the Gap: Access, Inclusion and Achievement.

The students will debate the same issues and their conclusions will feed into the final communiqu� at the end of the four-day gathering.

There are two students from each country, aged between 16 and 23.

There is also a symposium involving Commonwealth educational experts.

Scotland's First Minister, Jack McConnell, and Commonwealth Secretary-General, Don McKinnon, will formally open the conference on Monday evening.

Apart from debating the issues, the youth delegates will also get a chance to sample some of Edinburgh's social life, including a ceilidh - a traditional Scottish dance - and the Scottish premiere of the film Black and White.