Annex A Review of Scotland's Colleges
The Review of Scotland's Colleges was announced by the then Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning on 10 June 2005 at the Annual Conference of the Association of Scotland's Colleges.
The remit of the Review of Scotland's Colleges is to:
"provide Scottish Ministers with a robust evidence base, and where appropriate, informed recommendations for change, upon which sound decisions can be taken on how to fund and equip Scotland's colleges to meet future challenges and demands. In particular the review will:
(a) (i) examine the difference colleges make (to the learner, the economy and wider society), including:
- the full range of colleges' current activity (and the corresponding funding streams);
- the full range of learners benefiting from college opportunities;
- the changed nature and level of college activity since incorporation in 1993;
- costs, efficiency of colleges and benchmarking;
- the full range of college competitors and partners;
- outcomes for the learner, economy and wider society, including knowledge transfer encompassing quantitative (in appropriate time series) and qualitative information;
(ii) examine the difference that colleges could make if additional funding were allocated as a result of the next Spending Review by:
- identifying the pressures and opportunities;
- estimating the costs; and
- evaluating the difference that such funding could make to learners, the economy and wider society.
These should not include matters associated with staff development, learning environments and accountability and governance as these matters are being discussed in other Review workstreams.
(b) build on the work of previous reviews and examine the arrangements for accountability and governance in incorporated colleges including:
- the broader regulatory landscape in which colleges operate, and the potential overlap of jurisdictions;
- whether boards should be responsible for appointing their own membership, including the chair of the board;
- strengthening learner participation;
- enhancing the capacity of board members;
- whether the chair and other board members should be remunerated;
- the length of board membership for chairs of colleges and staff representatives;
- the roles of, and relationships between, the chair, board, principal to ensure maximum quality oversight, including the Board's ability to obtain independent advice and the roles, responsibilities and relationships of the Accountable Officer;
- whether there is a continuing need for powers of Ministerial intervention;
- the composition of the boards, including whether more needs to be done to ensure diversity and the current statutory requirement for 50% of board members to have capacity in "industrial, commercial or employment matters or the practice of any profession";
(c) examine issues relating to the staffing, learners and the learning environments of Scotland's colleges to ensure quality learning experiences, including:
- opportunities for the further modernisation and improvement of learning and teaching methods;
- supporting the professionalism and development of all staff;
- whether there is evidence of an ageing workforce in colleges;
- disability, race, religion and belief, sexual orientation, age and gender equality for staff and learners;
- the competitiveness of colleges as a place of work (including recruitment and retention issues);
- estates (and flexible joint use of buildings);
- learning environments for learners; and
(d) examine the strategic future of Scotland's colleges in 10-15 years through a scenario analysis, and report on the implications of the range of likely scenarios. In considering these scenarios, examine possible changes in the key national, European and international environmental factors affecting learning and colleges. These might include, for example:
- demographic change;
- economic change;
- societal and technological change;
- change in our expectations of the role and purpose of colleges;
- change in approaches to learning and teaching;
- change in the 'learning market'.
Membership of the 'Difference Colleges Make' Working Group
John Burt, Principal of Angus College (Chair)
Linda Hall, Further and Adult Education, Scottish Executive (Secretariat)
Gerald Wilson, Further and Adult Education, Scottish Executive (Secretariat) (replaced Linda Hall)
Lilian Anderson, National Union of Students Scotland
Col Baird, Review of Scotland's Colleges, Scottish Executive
Lesley Berry, Skill Scotland (replaced John Ireson)
Carl Bow, Scottish Enterprise
Garry Clark, Scottish Chambers of Commerce
Karen Corbett, HM Inspectorate of Education (replaced Kish Srinivasan)
Gordon Craig, Scottish Funding Council
Mark Cummings, Association of Scotland's Colleges
Jacqui Hepburn, Scottish Skills Development Agency (replaced Aileen Pontin)
Adam Gaines, Equalities Co-ordinating Group
Julie Gilstrap, Association of Scotland's Colleges (replaced Mark Cummings)
John Ireson, Skill Scotland
Brian Lister, Principal of Cumbernauld College
Colin MacBean, Analytical Services, Scottish Executive
Gordon MacDougall, Careers Scotland
Gordon McBride, Scottish Funding Council
Gerhard Mors, Analytical Services, Scottish Executive
Aileen Pontin, Scottish Skills Development Agency
Christina Potter, Principal of Elmwood College
Audrey Robertson, Further and Adult Education, Scottish Executive
Gordon Rodgers, Scottish Qualifications Authority
Mary Senior, Scottish Trades Union Congress
Kish Srinivasan, HM Inspectorate of Education
Sean Stronach, Learning Connections / Communities Scotland
The Working Group met five times between August 2005 and March 2006. The Executive's Reviews Team visited the following six colleges to discuss specifically the difference colleges make.
- Adam Smith College;
- Lews Castle College;
- John Wheatley College;
- Lauder College;
- Central College of Commerce; and
- Stevenson College Edinburgh.
The Reviews Team visited Stow College to discuss with trade union learners the difference the colleges make to them. The Review Team leader joined for 2½ days a range of classes at Langside College. The Team also had discussions with following organisations:
- BRITE Centre;
- Centre for Research in Lifelong Learning, Glasgow Caledonian University;
- Changing Places, Cambuslang;
- Cyclacel Ltd, Dundee;
- Dundee City Council - Social Work Department and Education Department;
- Dundee City Council - Contract Services;
- Green Keepers Training Committee;
- learndirect scotland;
- The Link Project;
- Prince's Trust;
- Routes to Work, Hamilton;
- Scottish Local Authority Development Enterprise;
- Upstairs Kids Club Nursery, Cambuslang; and
- West Lothian Economic Partnership.
We want to take this opportunity to thank all those who participated in discussions to help frame this report.