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Universities honoured for student support
25/09/2007
Three universities have become the first in Scotland to grab a new accolade for their commitment to supporting students who have been in care.
Glasgow, Strathclyde and Dundee's Abertay universities have been granted the Frank Buttle Trust Quality Mark, which recognises higher education providers who go the extra mile to support care leavers.
Children and Early Years Minister Adam Ingram praised the universities as he launched the Quality Mark in Scotland today.
Speaking at a ceremony at the University of Glasgow, Mr Ingram said:
"It is vital that everyone who has the ability to carry on with their education gets the chance to do so.
"The Scottish Government is committed to improving the support available to looked after young people who aspire to higher education - they deserve more choices and more chances.
"We must strive to make university education more accessible to care leavers and this Quality Mark from the Frank Buttle Trust will help us towards that goal.
"I'm very proud that three universities in Scotland - Glasgow, Strathclyde and Abertay Dundee - have obtained the Quality Mark for showing their commitment to helping care leavers.
"They are leading the way in Scotland and have set an example others will undoubtedly follow."
Gerri McAndrew, Chief Executive of the Frank Buttle Trust, said:
"It is great that these universities have set out their commitment to helping care leavers go on and further their education.
"Higher education can often seem out of reach for those leaving care but that needn't be the case.
"With the launch of our Quality Mark in Scotland I hope we will encourage more universities to recognise the challenges faced by young people who have been in care and give vital extra support.
"I greatly appreciate the support we have had from universities, higher education providers and other professional agencies in developing our commitment to care leavers."
University of Glasgow Vice Principal for Learning and Teaching, Professor Andrea Nolan, said:
"The University of Glasgow has a long and established tradition of ensuring that everybody who has the potential to benefit from higher education is given the opportunity to do so.
"It is an honour to receive the Frank Buttle Quality Mark as it recognises our commitment to encouraging people from a variety of backgrounds into higher education.
"The government has placed widening participation high on every university's agenda but at Glasgow this has always been a priority.
"Whether it is our ambitious schools programmes which seek to raise aspirations amongst pupils in schools with low participation rates in higher education or our initiatives aimed at supporting our students once they are here, Glasgow is continually striving to extend and develop widening participation opportunities for all."
University of Abertay Dundee Principal, Professor Bernard King CBE, said:
"At Abertay we recognise that young people coming to university from a public care background face a number of unique challenges.
"Some have no settled family backgrounds, others may be outside the traditional educational support structures and some may not even have accommodation during the holidays.
"Abertay is committed to opening its doors to anyone who could benefit from a university education, regardless of their background.
"We have worked hard to make sure we do everything we can to provide a level playing field for students who need additional support."
University of Strathclyde Deputy Principal, Professor Rae Condie, said:
"The university is delighted to receive the Quality Mark from the Frank Buttle Trust.
"We have a strong commitment to supporting young people who wish to participate in higher education and have the potential to do so, whatever their background.
"A broad programme of events is planned for this year, and we look forward to continuing to work with our partners to help widen participation in higher education across the west of Scotland."
The Frank Buttle Trust is the largest UK charity providing grant aid to individual children and young people in need, helping thousands of vulnerable children and families across the UK every year.
The Frank Buttle Trust Quality Mark aims to encourage co-operation from universities to:
- Facilitate an increase in the numbers of care leavers entering higher education
- Raise awareness of care leavers' needs
- Enable care leavers to make the most of their time in higher education and to complete courses successfully
- Help higher education providers to identify how best to support care leavers
- Contribute to a national framework to assist local authorities to fulfil their obligations to care leavers
To qualify for the Quality Mark, universities must demonstrate their commitment to care leavers through:
- Raising aspirations and achievement
- Having appropriate admissions procedures
- Providing entry and ongoing support
- Monitoring their implementation of the commitment