College regions announced
Colleges will work more collaboratively within 12 regions, allowing them to plan regionally and deliver locally, Education Secretary Michael Russell said yesterday.
In a statement to Parliament, Mr Russell also welcomed reports on the governance of higher and further education and gave a commitment to taking the recommendations forward in consultation with the sectors.
In his statement, he said: “Our system of post-16 education serves young people in Scotland well. Our colleges and universities do a good job of equipping students with the knowledge and skills they need for the workplace. However that doesn’t mean we are complacent, we need to make sure our system is the best it can be.
I believe developing a regional basis for colleges will make the sector more efficient and responsive to the needs of students and local economies. This approach was proposed in two Scottish Government consultations last year and regionalisation has been strongly supported by the college sector and others in their responses.
I expect colleges to collaborate and plan together within 12 newly-created regions and I expect provision to continue to be delivered locally. We will now work with the sector and the Scottish Funding Council to put these new arrangements in practice.
I am also pleased to publish the reviews carried out by Professor Griggs and Professor von Prondzynski into further and higher education governance. There is much in both of these reports that makes sense and I believe they can help develop the way our institutions are managed.
I plan to take the recommendations of these reviews forward in discussion and consultation with the further and higher education sectors, as we reform post-16 education and put learners at the centre of our education system.”
You can see the new college regions here.
More information on the Higher and Further Education Governance reviews.
Related:
Engage – Post-16 Reform section.
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