Building the Foundations of A LIFELONG LEARNING SOCIETY
SECTION 22
MATTERS NOT REFERRED TO IN CONSULTATION PAPER
Home Study
Further Education Sector
22.1 The Association of Scottish Colleges highlighted the issue of home-educated children. Lauder College asked for guidance to be given in framework and national campaigns regarding ruling over 'home educated pupils'.
Others
22.2 Lead Scotland and the Home Education Advisory Service (HEAS) said that provision needs to cover home study pupils who may wish to enrol part-time in college and urged that there should be adequate liaison with their parents. HEAS also commented that if necessary and possible, some children could be enrolled in schools for funding purposes. Alternative funding could come from the local Education authority or the Executive.
Specialist Schools
Others
22.3 The Church of Scotland Committee on Education considered it important for the Executive to think about how the needs of residential schools could be met in any body set up at local or national level to look at developing strategies.
National Planning
Others
22.4 The Socialist Educational Association Scotland and the Institution of Electrical Engineers both thought there was a need for some national planning in order to provide a strategic framework and for monitoring and evaluating of progress and possibly a national advisory body.
Student Rights & Representation
Further Education Sector
22.5 NUS Scotland was concerned about the rights that will be accorded to pupils studying in colleges and what level of distinction will be drawn between the rights of school pupils in colleges and adult learners.
Scope of the Review
Further Education Sector
22.6 Glenrothes College thought that the scope of the review is restrictive and has fallen into the trap of being institutionally focussed.
Others
22.7 Learning and Teaching Scotland considered that the focus of the review should be widened to take account of work-based experiences and learning including those from providers other than schools and colleges as well as being considered within the context of current national educational initiatives, including those contained in Educating for Excellence: Choice and Opportunity.
SQA Registration
Further Education Sector
22.8 Dumfries and Galloway College commented that the registration of the pupils with SQA by individual schools rather than being registered with the college - this leads to a very cumbersome approval and quality assurance process. The pupils are disadvantaged because the schools key dates for submission of student information and results etc are earlier than the college key dates. It requires completion at an earlier stage putting unnecessary pressure on pupils and reducing programme delivery time. The need for dual registration is urgent. It would also be helpful in the meantime for the school/college partnership to have flexibility to use college key dates if they prefer.
Local Authority Control of Colleges
School Sector
22.9 St Thomas Aquin's High School asked why FE colleges were removed from the central funding of education. Many of the issues in the consultation paper would have been easily addressed if colleges had remained within local authority control. The only real way forward is to bring them back and allow their excellent income generating approaches to be seen in the wider context of Enterprise Education - an excellent model for school pupils being involved in college experiences.
Pay Parity
Others
22.10 The EIS raised the issue of pay parity for teaching and lecturing staff and for support staff. There should be national bargaining because it is simpler. Local negotiating is inefficient and leads to strong feelings of grievance and injustice.
Library Resources
Others
22.11 UNISON advised that materials are needed at appropriate reading and ability levels for each cohort. Currently college libraries are geared towards adults. Pupils in schools that have college connections have already been trying to obtain college related material from school libraries. The proposals could increase demand significantly.