OFFICIAL RESPONSE
SUBJECT: Consultation on the Draft Student Fees (Specification) (Scotland) Order 2005
REQUESTED BY: Scottish Executive
DATE SENT : 23 January 2006
REF: OR.895
This response is made on behalf of, and in consultation with, the Scottish Executive Committee (SEC) of the Professional Association of Teachers in Scotland (PAT). SEC determines Association Policy with regard to pay, conditions, and all other educational matters in Scotland, in consort with the National Council .
We welcome this opportunity to contribute to the consultation.
We have to state at the outset that many of our members are opposed in principle to tuition fees for moral and ethical reasons, as well as purely practical reasons, i .e. the burden of student debt being increased by such measures. We have in the past issued press statements expressing our concerns . We know we are not alone in our stance and concerns on this matter. Indeed we understand that some MSPs and Westminster MPs are also worried about this topic .
We also expressed our concerns recently about the report that apparently the number of Scots applying to attend university in Scotland has fallen (19/10/05) . We would be very concerned if measures outlined in the consultation document worsened this situation . To quote from our press statement of the time "One of Scotland's greatest strengths is the talent of its young people. Scotland needs the best of that talent to study and then stay in the Country".
Bearing this last point in particular in mind, our opinion would favour Option 2 as being more in line with the facilitation of Scottish youngsters to embark on a course of Higher Education without additional financial burden.
Respectfully
JIM O'NEILL
Professional Officer for Scotland