This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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FE college accountability
28/03/2003
A package of measures aimed at modernising standards of
governance and accountability in the Further Education
sector was announced today following a review.
Lifelong Learning Minister Iain Gray said the quality of
FE college boards of management was crucial in delivering
the best returns on investment.
The main points arising out of the review are:
- make greater use of powers to co-opt individuals
with specialist skills and expertise
- encourage college Boards to achieve a more diverse
and representative balance of membership, taking
account gender, race, age and disability
- introduce a national training programme for Board
members
- restrict Board membership to a maximum of 8 years
(currently the limit is 12 years)
- consider future independent involvement in Board
appointment process
- ensure that the appointments processes followed by
all college Boards are consistent and follow good
practice in public appointments
Mr Gray said:
"College Boards exist to give strategic leadership to
our colleges. This package of improvements is key to our
modernising agenda and is one of the most important
developments since the colleges were separated from local
authority control in 1993.
"We will be encouraging Boards to bring in more fresh
blood and new ideas, and to do more to reflect the
diversity of communities.
"We want to make sure Board members are equipped with
the best possible training and support to ensure that
colleges are run in a businesslike manner and are highly
effective in meeting local economic and community
needs.
"We rightly ask a huge amount from our FE colleges in
return for the record levels of funding we are providing.
We raised the 1998 level of funding by fully 50% and are
adding a further 20% over the period to 2005-06.
"This will bring the annual investment in the sector to
over half a billion pounds. Given the size of the sums
involved, standards of financial management and propriety
must be exemplary.
"Colleges and their students need and deserve the best
possible strategic leadership. That means continually
ensuring that college Boards attract the best qualified
people, and that we are further able to boost their skills
by offering ongoing training and guidance.
"This has been a comprehensive review which has focused
directly on the quality of college governance. It has
looked at how Board members are attracted and appointed,
what skills they will need in future and how they should be
trained."
The Minister continued:
"What is clear is that we owe a huge debt of gratitude
to the contribution made by Scotland's college board
members - over 500 in number and all unpaid. These measures
that I am announcing today will ensure that Colleges - and
their Board members - remain vibrant, forward looking and
able to retain their role as an integral part of delivering
a
Smart, Successful Scotland."
The Review of Governance and Accountability in the
Further Education Sector was prompted by events at Moray
College which involved allegations of financial
mismanagement and other irregularities.
The Parliament's Audit Committee recommended that the
Scottish Ministers should review governance and
accountability throughout the further education sector.
Particular attention was drawn to the possibility of wider
risks for the sector which the problems experienced at
Moray may have highlighted.