On 14 June Reform Scotland published ‘A new deal for Scotland’s Colleges’. The report looks specifically at the Further Education sector in Scotland as it enters a new phase of regionalisation and considers what can be done to empower colleges, students and the communities they serve.
Our starting point was that colleges play a vital role in Scotland’s social and economic development by providing high quality teaching, by helping people into high value careers and by supporting industry to develop their workforce. Colleges are also a particularly important means of increasing social mobility.
However, in researching this report, it became clear that whilst there may be a perception that colleges are independent organisations, this is not really the case. Professor Griggs noted in his review of Further Education in Scotland that “within the criteria applied variously by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), the Office of National Statistics (ONS), and Her Majesty’s Treasury (HMT), colleges have been deemed to be public sector bodies”. Indeed, as Griggs goes on to note, the only reason that colleges even have charitable status is because a ministerial exemption was made in 2007, otherwise they would fail the independence test.
…..colleges should be given far greater independence, and the college sector needed to be viewed more widely as a different choice to university, not a lesser one.
Reform Scotland felt that this background highlighted two very important problems that we believed needed to be addressed if colleges were to flourish following regionalisation – namely that colleges should be given far greater independence, and the college sector needed to be viewed more widely as a different choice to university, not a lesser one.
When too much power resides at the centre, it can be difficult for individual bodies to develop distinctive and innovative approaches. As a result, we believe that legislation is needed to remove colleges’ status as public bodies and enshrine them as fully independent charities, which would in turn enter into a contractual relationship with government to deliver certain services.
Such a change would not affect the government’s ability to ensure certain FE services were provided. However, it would give the 13 regional colleges greater autonomy and independence to deliver courses and services in a way which best suits their local communities and students. The ability to adopt different approaches is a key factor in ensuring our public services are able to respond to the different priorities and circumstances faced by the people they serve. Increasing the autonomy of colleges is, therefore, essential to allow for diverse solutions to the different situations they face. A one-size-fits-all approach will not work as we are a diverse nation.
If colleges were independent organisations they would be able to achieve charitable status in their own right, as universities do, rather than having to be deemed an exception to charities legislation. Being independent bodies rather than government bodies would also allow them, as charities, to hold a financial surplus and reinvest it as they saw fit.
Furthermore, it is simply impossible to explain why, in Scotland, universities deserve a high level of independence and autonomy, but somehow colleges do not.
It is also worth highlighting that university education is best where universities are most free of government control. This is why the US and the UK dominate the league tables. If anything, universities would benefit from greater independence and what applies to Higher Education should apply to Further Education too.
…. it is simply impossible to explain why, in Scotland, universities deserve a high level of independence and autonomy, but somehow colleges do not.
These recommendations would help give colleges the boost they need – freeing up the institutions to deliver not just what government wants, but also what students and communities want, whilst giving 16 to 19 years olds greater ability to choose the education environment which best meets their needs. However, there also needs to be a greater pride taken in the work carried out by colleges. Whilst as a nation we are quick to boast of the successes of our universities and schools, colleges are treated almost with a sense of shame – a perception which is worrying and wrong. It is vital that pupils in school are given the information they need to make informed decisions about their future, rather than the stereotype that you only go to college if you can’t get into university. Equally, just as university is not only for the more advantaged, college is not just for the more disadvantaged, but offers a range of educational opportunities regardless of background.
By Alison Payne, Research Director, Reform Scotland
Issue 6
TRAINING, SKILLS, EDUCATION AND THE ECONOMY
- Securing Futures For Our Young People
- Christie Commission Principles In The Employability And Skills Sector
- Training and education for public service workers mustn't be forgotten
- What do our human rights and business have in common? A missed opportunity, that's what.
- Imagining the future of higher education
- Buying into a brighter future: Why public procurement is a career of choice for professionals, graduates and school leavers
- Chill winds blow on Further Education
OTHER ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE
- Editorial
- Scotland's Digital Connectivity
- In My View...
- Dundee: From Waterfront redevelopment to city economy regeneration
- Scottish Universities And Reputation Management
- Energy Master Planning And Sustainability
- This land is our land ? Or is it?
- How is Scotland Weathering the Storm? Can other small countries learn from the 'Scottish model'?
- Social Business Can Transform Public Services
- Whistleblowing - prevention better than the cure
- Lessons From The 3rd Annual School Business Managers Conference
- The Opportunity to eradicate child poverty in Scotland
- Positive About Planning
- Policy Shorts
- Rail freight, the economy, the environment and the Highlands
PREVIOUS ISSUES
Looking for a previous issue? Use the menu below to select an issue.
MOST READ ARTICLES
- Bringing alive the Digital Participation Charter for Scotland's citizens, communities and businesses
- Transport for Edinburgh - Integrated Transport for a Smart City
- Worth more than the First Minister? Senior Salaries in Scottish Quangos
- A Planet of Smart Cities: Scotland's digital challenge
- Dundee: From Waterfront redevelopment to city economy regeneration
- Social Business Can Transform Public Services
- Success secrets shared: Learning from the best Mittelstand and British global niche champions
- Public Services Reform and Public Opinion
- Increasing digital participation levels in Scotland - what needs to happen next?
- The Evolving Public Sector Response to Budget Challenges