Farming: Land-based colleges in new deal on co-operation

Scotland's land-based colleges have signed up to an agreement that will see more co-operation in the future between Barony, Elmwood and Oatridge colleges and the Scottish Agricultural College.

The concordat signed yesterday in Edinburgh refers to reducing duplication of courses and improving options for students wanting to move to higher levels of education.

It was launched by Michael Russell MSP, cabinet secretary for education and lifelong learning, who called it a "landmark day".

"I very much welcome the commitment of the concordat to driving out duplication and to developing a breadth of provision which each individual college, on its own, would be unable to undertake to the benefit of students, staff and industry," he said.

He hoped that by addressing duplication, the agreement would "release capacity to explore and develop new market opportunities" for the colleges.

"The demands of rural communities in Scotland are ever changing and what is offered through education and training must reflect that," he added.

Although it was not mentioned at the launch, one of the driving forces behind the agreement has been the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council which has been pushing for such a move.

There was also little reference to the reduced funding the colleges are facing in the current economic situation apart from the principal of Elmwood College in Cupar, Jim Crooks, taking the optimistic line: "Despite the difficulties of the financial environment, we will be able to develop and grow and deliver public value for Scotland."

In the coming months the partners will develop an agreed model of collaboration and meet other land-based education providers in Scotland. The final decision on the new working model will be made by the end of June.