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Scotland's college mergers plans 'incoherent', EIS warns Scotland's college mergers plans 'incoherent', EIS warns
(about 3 hours later)
Legislation to reform Scotland's colleges could create a "nationally incoherent" system of further education, a union has claims.Legislation to reform Scotland's colleges could create a "nationally incoherent" system of further education, a union has claims.
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) has criticised the "complexity" of the changes proposed by the Scottish government.The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) has criticised the "complexity" of the changes proposed by the Scottish government.
The Post-16 Education (Scotland) Bill aims to regionalise further education.The Post-16 Education (Scotland) Bill aims to regionalise further education.
The Scottish government said it would provide flexibility to govern colleges and save £50m a year.The Scottish government said it would provide flexibility to govern colleges and save £50m a year.
The bill includes;
  • plans to regionalise further education - which ministers argue will eventually make efficiency savings of £50m each year
  • improving governance and ensuring courses are suited to employers' needs
  • requirement for universities to do more to widen access for young people from deprived areas
  • and a proposed cap to limit the fees for students from the rest of the UK to the same level as their home country.
Education Secretary Mike Russell said the reforms in the bill would "reduce the duplication of 41 college administrations".
But the EIS, which represents college lecturers, said in a statement to Holyrood's education committee: "If it's the government's wish to create a nationally incoherent FE (further education) structure with a myriad of different types of colleges, governing bodies and funding mechanisms with separate regulations for each, then this bill is the way to go about it.
"The complexity of the proposed structure will confound all but employees and public policy experts."
The union claimed the government had "failed to give staff and staff trade unions a larger role to play in colleges and their governance, which will not help the success of these reforms".
David Belsey, the EIS's national officer for further and higher education, will raise concerns when he gives evidence to the committee later.
Different regions
Mr Russell announced last year that he wanted to see one college in each region, with each region run by one governing body.
The EIS said such a change would "hopefully produce a regional level of coherence but may fail to deliver a nationally coherent FE system".
A Scottish government spokesman said: "The EIS has been supportive of our plans to modernise college governance.
"Our proposals allow for different approaches in different regions, allowing colleges the flexibility to determine the structure that best meets the needs of students and employers in their region."