REVIEW OF SCOTLAND'S COLLEGES
RoSCo e-Bulletin Issue 9- March 2007
To download pdf version click here
In this issue:
Welcome
Minutes of Meetings and Associated Papers
Core Group
Further & Adult Education Division
Feedback
Contacts
Welcome
Welcome to the ninth edition of the Review of Scotland's Colleges (RoSCo) e-bulletin, which provides an update on progress of the Review.
We would be grateful if you could draw attention to the RoSCo e-Bulletin through your own internal and external newsletters and websites. We are also keen to ensure that the e-bulletin is circulated more widely by building up a more comprehensive distribution list. If you would like to be added to the mailing list please let us know by e-mailing rosco@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Minutes of Meetings and Associated Papers
Information about the Review can be found on the Executive's revised website address at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/UniversitiesColleges/17135/RSC/Intro
Minutes and papers of the working groups and Core Group are available on the website.
Core Group
The Core Group last met on 15 February 2007. Members were advised of concerns raised by the Deputy First Minister that the launch of the Review's reports so soon before the Scottish Parliamentary elections in May could well reduce impact and run the risk of the reports' findings being diluted or misrepresented in the welter of the pre-election activities. The Minister suggested that the formal launch should be deferred until post-election, when the new Ministerial team is in place and that a briefing session with key stakeholders and Lifelong Learning Ministers should be arranged for March. The Group agreed that this was a sensible way forward and that there would be significant benefits in reporting the Review's findings to the Ministers responsible for considering and taking the recommendations forward.
Possible launch vehicles were discussed. No decision was taken on the timing, nature or venue of the launch.
Members discussed the near final Staffing, Learners and Learning Environment Working Group's report. This report was generally welcomed by members. Suggestions were given on a number of presentational aspects.
The Group suggested additional amendments to be made to the Accountability and Governance report (discussed at the previous meeting) including a response to the DTZ report's recommendation on changing the annual funding cycle to a three year cycle. Members were informed that this had been considered by the working group but they had decided not to take this recommendation forward as it would not be practical to deliver
The Group discussed its own overview report. It was agreed that a list of all recommendations of all working groups must be included in the core group report, but should be attached as an annex to the report. It was also agreed that further expansion in some areas would be made including messages that had not been captured, for example, reference to college's higher education work, HN modernisation and collaborative activity as well as other key roles which colleges play beyond providing routes to work (such as social inclusion, community cohesion). A revised version of this report will be circulated to members for comment in due course.
The Core Group will meet again for an evaluation session after publication of the Reviews documents (date to be arranged).
Ministerial Briefing Session with Key Stakeholders
On 21 March, Nicol Stephen, the Deputy First Minister, and Allan Wilson, the Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, met the chair of the Core Group and the chair of each of the Working Groups to discuss the emerging conclusions and recommendations from the Review. Ministers thanked the chairs for the time and effort each of them had invested in the Review.
The chair of the Core Group outlined to Ministers how the Review had been conducted, commenting particularly on the fact that it was a stakeholder-led Review, and that each of the 4 workstreams had been chaired by a different key stakeholder. All the organisations involved in the Review had found the process very productive and helpful in terms of relationship building. There had been a tremendous amount of consensus reached by the end of the process, though unsurprisingly there were a few areas where some differing views remained.
The chairs of each of the working groups outlined the main recommendations in their reports. The Difference Colleges Make Working Group had captured the impact that colleges make to the lives of learners and to the economy and wider society. The Working Group also identified twelve key areas where colleges could contribute more.
Ministers were advised that independent research had been commissioned to benchmark standards of college governance against the Good Governance Standards for Public Services which were published in 2005. The report concludes that standards of accountability and governance across the sector are, in general, good, with practice ranging from average to very good to exemplary in some cases. The key recommendations highlighted by the Accountability and Governance Working Group are framed within a culture of continuous quality improvement and are aimed in the main at enhancing the capacity of board members, including for example more robust induction and ongoing training and development, in key areas such as financial management, risk assessment, succession planning, and with a new role for Chairs in reviewing the training needs of board members; better dissemination of 'good practice' across the sector; and arrangements of evaluating the performance of board members. Other areas include looking at the way the SFC oversees colleges in difficulty; and learning the lessons of difficulties elsewhere in the sector. Taken together, the group noted that these recommendations should help deliver stronger Boards which are better able to deliver against our high expectations of them.
Ministers were advised that significant additional funding requirements were identified by the Staffing, Learners and Learning Environments Working Group to support initial training of lecturers, continuous professional development needs of all college staff, and capital investment, including the modernisation and upkeep of estates. The Working Group also identified key ways in which student representation and learner engagement in learning can be further supported.
In respect of the strategic future of the college sector, Ministers were advised that the future role and positioning of colleges should remain a focus. Colleges should aspire to be the provider of choice for vocational education and training, and should be key strategic partners in their communities. In looking ahead, it is important that learning and teaching methods are modernised to reflect the latest thinking on how individuals learn.
The Deputy First Minister thanked the chairs for their invaluable contribution to the Review and for their useful input to the meeting. He noted that it was important that all stakeholders take the opportunity to use the Review findings to influence policy makers in the run up to the election and beyond, particularly given the timing of the Spending Review. He noted that officials would make use of the evidence provided as part of their advice to incoming Ministers and for spending review submissions. He suggested that the findings of the Review should be brought to the attention of incoming Ministers early in the post-election period.
In closing, the process of the Review was commended positively by a Working Group chair as a useful vehicle for improved stakeholder engagement and it was noted that the process of the Review had been at least as important as the outputs from it. .
Information About Other Work of Further & Adult Education Division
The Adult Literacy and Numeracy in Scotland (ALNIS) report published in 2001 is currently being refreshed. A draft strategy is expected to go out to consultation in late 2007.
The Adult ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Strategy for Scotland, was launched on Wednesday 28 March. The document and news release can be found at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/esol/documents
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2007/03/28143924
We are also managing the procurement of teaching materials to support the delivery of three new Professional Development Awards which we developed in 2006, further to the publication of new Professional Standards for Lecturers in Scotland's Colleges..
We are liaising with colleagues in the Executive's education department, and other stakeholders on A Curriculum for Excellence, and hope to be involved in a half day seminar on progress with this in the near future.
Feedback
We would welcome ongoing feedback on any aspect of the Review. Please send your comments to rosco@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.
Contacts
RoSCo Project Leader - Col Baird
Tel 0141 242 0237
Email colin.baird@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
RoSCo Secretariat - Margaret McLachlan
Tel 0141 242 0102
Email margaret.mclachlan@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Address Further and Adult Education Division
Europa Building
450 Argyle Street
Glasgow, G2 8LG