The Scottish Office (Back)
 
Higher Education for the 21st Century
Response to the Garrick Report
 
2. THE CORE BUSINESS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
2.1 New Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework
Recommendation 1 - We recommend to providers of higher education programmes in Scotland, the Quality Assurance Agency, the Scottish Qualifications Authority and the Scottish Advisory Committee on Credit and Access that they should together consider and adopt an integrated qualifications framework based around level of study and Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme credit points.
This is primarily a matter for the various bodies to take forward. However, the Government welcomes this recommendation and the opportunity to contribute towards its implementation. The framework will be built through agreement between those who provide, award and quality assure Scottish qualifications. It will provide a common language for describing the qualifications system with considerable potential to promote its coherence and assist learners to progress to their full potential. The Scottish Office will be fully involved in the process of building and maintaining the framework, ensuring that full account is taken of wider developments in education and training. Following discussion with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), Committee of Scottish Higher Education Principals (COSHEP), Association of Scottish Colleges (ASC), Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and Scottish Advisory Committee on Credit and Access(SACCA), agreement has been reached about setting up an Advisory Group on a Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework, which will take the initiative forward.
 
2.2 Scottish Higher Education Qualifications/Bachelors Degrees
Recommendation 2 - We recommend to all higher education institutions that 360 credit-point Bachelors degrees should become more widely available and that they should begin to develop or extend their provision in this area, with the support and assistance of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council.
The Government welcomes this recommendation although it is primarily a matter for the higher education institutions themselves. The Government has asked the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) to consult with institutions and ensure that its funding policies support educationally desirable change. The Government recognises, however, that the success of the new qualification will depend on employers’ support. The Scottish Office will look at the qualifications it specifies for its various schemes for direct entry and recruitment for single posts. Where appropriate it will define the minimum qualifications required in terms of a general degree so as to encourage applications from as wide a pool of talent as possible.
Recommendation 3 - We recommend to higher education institutions that they should develop wider and more diverse programmes at honours level.
The Government supports this recommendation although its implementation is essentially a matter for the higher education institutions themselves. Indeed, COSHEP states that many higher education institutions have been and are actively pursuing that course.
Recommendation 4 - We recommend to professional bodies and institutions that they should together formally consider how their requirements could be embedded within the qualifications framework, in discussion with the Quality Assurance Agency and the Scottish Qualifications Authority as appropriate.
The Government supports this recommendation. Many links already exist between professional bodies and higher education, often involving mutual recognition and SCOTCAT credit. Many professional bodies, eg in accounting and finance, such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, or in business administration, such as the Institute of Personnel and Development or the Chartered Institute of Marketing, accept a Scottish honours degree in a relevant subject as meeting either in full or in part the requirements for membership of the profession. These links must be maintained. The development of the qualifications framework should, however, also allow a strengthening of such links. The views of the Advisory Group on a Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework will be sought on how to take this recommendation forward.
 
2.3 Admissions
Recommendation 5 - We recommend to the Committee of Scottish Higher Education Principals, the Association of Scottish Colleges, the Scottish Qualifications Authority, the Scottish Advisory Committee on Credit and Access, The Scottish Office Education and Industry Department, the Association of Directors of Education, school headteachers and other interested parties that they should give urgent attention and consideration to achieving better value for money from the Scottish Sixth Year by:
  • evolving a meaningful and credit-rated curriculum for the Advanced Higher;
  • evolving a meaningful curriculum for non-Advanced Higher students so that both can be fitted meaningfully and usefully into the framework of qualifications.
The Government welcomes this recommendation as offering strong support to the aims of the Higher Still programme. COSHEP has already made clear in public announcements that it will encourage institutions to assign credit to candidates for admission who have passes at the level of Advanced Higher. COSHEP believes that the extent of credit awarded will vary considerably from course to course. The Government is confident that a meaningful credit rating can be agreed. This will increase the motivation of students to make the most of the improvements to the Scottish sixth year brought about by Higher Still.
In relation to non Advanced Higher students, the fundamental aim of Higher Still is to encourage higher and broader achievement by all students. The Higher Still system will ensure that all students can undertake relevant subjects at the right level leading to nationally recognised qualifications. The courses are designed so that articulation between the new levels is strong and the modular structure allows for credit to be built up over time. The current consultation on Group Award proposes credit transfer from SVQs into Higher Still. The structure of Higher Still will, therefore, closely align with the principles of the Scottish qualifications framework.
Recommendation 6 - We recommend to higher education providers that they should clearly specify their requirements for combinations of A levels which will lead to entry with advanced standing within the new qualifications framework.
The Government welcomes this recommendation. Although it is for individual higher education providers to consider, the Government believes they should give more consideration for entry into second year for candidates with appropriate combinations of A levels. Indeed it has long been the practice of some faculties in some institutions to offer direct entry to appropriate candidates. The previous recommendation deals in part with the Advanced Higher which will offer an equivalent level of challenge to students. The Government expects that, in due course, similar advanced standing will also be given for equivalent groupings of Advanced Highers.
 
2.4 Further Education Route
Recommendation 7 - We recommend to further education colleges and higher education institutions that they should actively collaborate to enhance and publicise access and articulation routes into degree programmes for students at further education colleges.
The Government welcomes this recommendation which is for the FE colleges and HE institutions to take forward. It also acknowledges the important role that FE colleges and the SWAP consortia have played in widening access to higher education and encourages colleges and HE institutions to build on existing partnership and collaborative arrangements.