College faces losing £1m funding in row over Chinese courses

Published on Thursday 16 April 2009 22:02

CHINESE language courses have caused a funding row that might result in a Scottish college losing £1 million.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) said Stow College in Glasgow may not be eligible for the money, despite having run a Chinese language school since 1988. More than 600 people benefit from the part-time classes, which teach Mandarin and Cantonese as well as Chinese culture, history and art.

The majority of students are Scottish-born youngsters from the city's large Chinese community whose parents are keen for them to learn the language. But the courses are open to all and are attended by people of all ages and backgrounds.

If the courses are scrapped, it will fly in the face of a Scottish Government drive to encourage Mandarin teaching in schools.

Eight Chinese learning hubs, called Confucius classrooms, have been created across the country to allow schools to share teaching resources.

A Higher and Advanced Higher in Mandarin are to be available in schools from August, while education secretary Fiona Hyslop recently spent a week in China forging education links.

A spokesman for the SFC, which allocates cash for colleges, said: "We recognise the value of the Chinese school and we have asked the college not to take any action that would risk the continued ongoing operation of the school."

Some of the 1 million being withheld relates to some courses based in the workplace. Jim Mitchell, Stow chairman, said: "We place the learner at the heart of every decision made and will continue to do so throughout this process with the funding council."

The row emerged after the SFC published its funding for colleges for the coming year.

In total, the 43 colleges will receive 572 million, including an additional 6.7 million to help increased demand for students who are struggling financially in the recession. Colleges helping people at risk of redundancy, also received a boost.

Funding for the national Partnership Action for Continuing Employment programme increased by 150 per cent to 5 million for 2009-10.

The overall investment of 572 million for 2009-10 represents an increase of 14 million – 2.5 per cent – on 2008-9.

A total of 36 million will be invested to support Scotland's economic, educational and social priorities.