Fine for unis not accepting enough poor students

In a submission to the Scottish Parliament’s education committee, education secretary Mike Russell yesterday confirmed the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) would have the power to reduce an institution’s funding under moves to widen access.

The provision is part of the Post-16 Education (Scotland) Bill, which passed an early-stage vote at Holyrood yesterday, despite criticism from opposition MSPs.

As well as setting out plans to widen access, the bill proposes “college regionalisation” and sets a limit on tuition fees for university students coming from the rest of the UK. In his letter to the committee, which was published ahead of the vote, Mr Russell said “under-performance” in widening access to students from deprived backgrounds was likely to lead to “reductions in future funding allocations”. However, he added it was for the SFC to decide on a case-by-case basis.

While the legislation has the “qualified support” of Holyrood’s education committee, members have called for more information about new college structures, reform of college boards and widening access.

Speaking during yesterday’s debate, Labour’s Neil Findlay said: “While the aims of the bill we would largely agree with, the bill itself is badly drafted, ill-defined, clumsy and a confused piece of legislation. Anyone who reads the committee report would see this.

“Question after question after question remain, and a far greater degree of clarity is needed.”

Organisations from the college and university sector, all three opposition parties on the education committee and SNP members “have all raised repeated and serious questions about the bill”.

But Mr Russell said: “The clear message I am hearing from learners, staff and institutions is that the principles and policy objectives identified are the right ones.

“Today we talk about those general principles [of the bill]. That is our focus. Looking ahead, I encourage all members, whether they are on the committee or not, to come forward with suggestions to help us to achieve a better bill.”

Commenting on the decision to fine universities for not recruiting enough poor students, a spokeswoman for umbrella body Universities Scotland said: “In an environment where there is very real pressure on university places, it is the universities’ view that an incentive rather than penalty-based approach to widening access will be more  effective.

“It’s hoped that penalties will not be necessary but if they are used, it is very important that the terms are transparent and clearly understood from the outset.”

John Henderson, chief executive of Colleges Scotland, added: “We would like the bill to have a better balance between central control and local autonomy. Like universities, we would like to remove the requirement for ministerial approval for some board appointments.

“Colleges work best when they can respond quickly to the needs of their local learners, employers and economies.”