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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

INTERMEDIATE, adj.

1.  In Sc. educ. usage: applied to a type of school which provided a three years' course of education beyond the primary school for children from 12 to 14 or 15 years of age, and prepared pupils for a State examination and the Intermediate Certificate, introduced in 1902, at the end of the course. The word replaced the term Higher Grade, see Higher, and has itself been replaced by the term Junior Secondary. The Intermediate Certificate became the Day School Certificate in 1923 and was abolished in 1939.Sc. 1910 J. Kerr Sc. Education 402:
Whatever their origin or history, those schools which provided a three years' course of secondary education were to be called “Intermediate” and those which provided a course extending over at least five years were to be called “Secondary”.Sc. 1916 School World (Jan.) 21:
The percentage of passes both for the Intermediate and the Higher Certificate are rather above the normal, while the detailed reports of the examiner testify that there was little or no evidence shown in the written papers of the abnormal conditions of the year.Sc. 1925 Organisation Educ. Edb. 15:
Intermediate Schools provide at least a three-years' course of instruction in subjects, including a language other than English.

2. In Sc. Law: Comb. intermediate diet, An investigation in open court where the parties have to indicate their stance in a future criminal trial.Sc. 1996 Herald (12 Mar) 4:
The introduction of intermediate diets in summary trials will become mandatory in 64 out of the 78 courts in Scotland, which he said would greatly assist in unnecessary calls for police and civilian witnesses to attend....Intermediate diets were introduced in 1980 to check if both prosecution and defence were ready to go to trial.Sc. 2002 Scotsman (26 Feb) 2:
He failed to turn up for his pre-trial hearing, known in the courts as an intermediate diet, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.Sc. 2003 Evening Times (12 Nov) 4:
They say that when an intermediate diet is held - when the prosecution explains which witnesses will appear at a trial - few witnesses have been located because of a breakdown in the system between police and the Crown Office.Sc. 2004 Herald (20 Sep) 8:
Intermediate diets - the precursor to the much-praised preliminary diet soon to be introduced to the high courts - were expected to reduce the need for adjournments by agreeing in advance the details of the case and when witnesses would be required.Sc. 2004 Aberdeen Evening Express (7 Oct) 2:
She pleaded not guilty to both charges.
An intermediate diet was set for January 18 next year. A trial date was set for February 9.