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Building the Foundations of A LIFELONG LEARNING SOCIETY
 SECTION
1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Given the outcomes of both the recent National Debate on Education
and the Review of Enterprise in Education, the Scottish Executive considers
that the time is right to embark on a review of collaboration between schools
and further education colleges.1 Ministers
have asked an inter-departmental group of Executive officials to co-ordinate
the review. The review was launched on 20 October 2003 at a conference held
in the Carlton Hotel in Edinburgh. It brought together 120 representatives from
the school and further education sectors, as well as other interested parties
and Executive officials, to help frame this consultation paper.
1.2 Further background on the relationship between the school and
further education sectors envisaged by the National Debate on Education
and the Review of Enterprise in Education is set out in Annex
C.
Review Publications
1.3 This paper and other review publications can be found on the
Scottish Executive's website at www.scotland.gov.uk/publications.
You can telephone Freephone 0800 77 1234 to find out where your nearest public
Internet access point is.
1.4 A report of the school/college conference has been published
to accompany this paper. A summary of the consultation paper and a leaflet
seeking specifically the views of school pupils are also available. The summary
paper is available on request in alternative formats.
1.5 The Executive has published as part of its review Building
the Foundations of a Lifelong Learning Society: The Experience of Motherwell
College and Local Schools. The brochure reproduces articles that first appeared
in the spring 2003 edition of 'Broadcast', the journal of the Scottish Further
Education Unit.
1.6 All review publications are available from the contact point
mentioned in paragraph 1.15 below or by telephoning 0141 242 0102.
Strategy and Implementation Plan
1.7 The Executive's lifelong learning strategy, Life Through Learning;
Learning Through Life2 published in
February 2003 said that the Executive would:
"develop a joint schools/FE strategy and implementation plan, including
review of funding mechanisms to ensure flexibility of delivery, so as to encourage
locally relevant links between schools, FE colleges and local employers to ease
school leavers' transitions into further learning, training or employment".
1.8 The Partnership Agreement, A Partnership for a Better Scotland3
published in May 2003, which forms the basis of the Executive Parties' current
Programme for Government, said that the Executive would:
"enable 14-16 year olds to develop vocational skills and improve their employment
prospects by allowing them to undertake courses in further education colleges
as part of the school-based curriculum".
Key Themes
1.9 The review has four key themes:
1.10 It will also encompass how best to implement the Partnership
Agreement commitment.
1.11 The next steps for the review are outlined in section
7.
Main Conclusions of the School/College Conference
1.12 As previously mentioned, a school/college conference was held
on 20 October 2003 to help frame this paper. Participants at the event generally
agreed that a national strategy for school/college collaboration, underpinned
by local strategies involving delivery partners, would be welcomed. However,
the review group was cautioned not to raise unrealistic expectations. It was
emphasised that collaboration should not be treated as a short-term initiative,
as both sectors required long-term stability, particularly in respect of transparent
funding arrangements in order to plan effectively. The review group was urged
to place the needs of the pupil at the heart of its work, recognising that there
was no one model of collaboration that could adequately deal with pupils' differing
needs in terms of, among other things, age, ability, aspiration, geographical
accessibility or learning support. It was also emphasised that the pattern of
engagement across further education colleges needs to reflect local circumstances,
and that the particular needs of rural schools must be fully considered. It
was suggested that it may not always be appropriate for school pupils to go
through college doors; it may be more effective and efficient in some circumstances
for further education to be delivered by college staff in schools. However,
as well as ensuring sufficient flexibility, the review group was asked to consider
whether a consistent approach to matters such as responsibilities for transport
and free school meals should be taken across Scotland.
School/College Review Consultation
1.13 This consultation paper sets out and seeks comment on issues arising
from collaboration between schools and further education colleges in Scotland.
1.14 A summary of the questions posed in this paper is provided in
Annex A. Annex B
lists the consultees.
1.15 This paper also pilots a possible new approach to consultations
by the Scottish Executive by giving some key stakeholders interested in its
subject-matter a platform within the paper to help shape the consultation process.
Annex D outlines the pilot in more detail.
How to respond:
By post to: Margaret McLachlan
Scottish Executive
School/College Review
2nd Floor, Europa Building
450 Argyle Street
Glasgow G2 8LG
By email to: scrt@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
When by:
Responses to this paper are required by 1 June 2004.
1.16 Responses will be made available to the public on the Scottish
Executive website and in the Scottish Executive Library4
unless confidentiality is requested. Any confidentiality disclaimer generated
by your computer system in an e-mail will not be treated as such a request.
Confidential responses will be included in any statistical summary of numbers
or comments received or views expressed. All responses not marked confidential
will be checked for any potentially defamatory material before being logged
in the library or placed on the website.
1.17 A new email alert system for Scottish Executive consultations
(SEconsult)5
was launched in December 2003. This system will allow stakeholder individuals
and organisations to register and receive a weekly email containing details
of all new Scottish Executive consultations (including web links). SEconsult
will complement, but in no way replace, Scottish Executive distribution lists,
and is designed to allow stakeholders 'keep an eye' on all Scottish Executive
consultation activity, and therefore be alerted at the earliest opportunity
to those of most interest. We encourage you to register as soon as possible.
Scottish Executive Consultation Process
1.18 Consultation is an essential and important aspect of Scottish
Executive working methods. Given the wide-ranging areas of work of the Scottish
Executive, there are many varied types of consultation. However, in general,
Scottish Executive consultation exercises aim to provide opportunities for all
those who wish to express their opinions on a proposed area of work to do so
in ways which will inform and enhance that work.
1.19 While details of particular circumstances described in a response
to a consultation exercise may usefully inform the policy process, consultation
exercises cannot address individual concerns and comments, which should be directed
to the relevant public body. Consultation exercises may involve seeking views
in a number of different ways, such as public meetings, focus groups or questionnaire
exercises.
1.20 Typically, Scottish Executive consultations involve a written
paper inviting answers to specific questions or more general views about the
material presented. Written papers are distributed to organisations and individuals
with an interest in the area of consultation, and they are also placed on the
Scottish Executive website enabling a wider audience to access the paper and
submit their responses.6 Copies of all
the responses received to consultation exercises (except those where the individual
or organisation requested confidentiality) are placed in the Scottish Executive
library at Saughton House, Edinburgh (K Spur, Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive,
Edinburgh EH11 3XD, telephone 0131 244 4552).
1.21 The views and suggestions detailed in consultation responses
are analysed and used as part of the decision-making process. Depending on the
nature of the consultation exercise the responses received may:
- indicate the need for policy development or review;
- inform the development of a particular policy;
- help decisions to be made between alternative policy proposals; and
- be used to finalise legislation before it is implemented.
1.22 If you have any comments about how this consultation exercise
has been conducted, please send them
by post to:
Colin Baird
Scottish Executive
School/College Review
2nd Floor, Europa Building
450 Argyle Street
Glasgow G2 8LG
by email to: colin.baird@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
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