Scottish play for power: high aims or pure politics?

A bill giving 바카라사이트 Scottish government powers over university governance, admissions and courses will open 바카라사이트 door to ¡°political interference¡±, 바카라사이트 University and College Union has said.

The Post-16 Education (Scotland) Bill, announced on November, would give Holyrood powers to change university governance and demand initiatives aimed at allowing more pupils from poor backgrounds to enter university.

The legislation gives 바카라사이트 Scottish Funding Council ¡°with 바카라사이트 consent of 바카라사이트 Scottish Ministers¡± 바카라사이트 ability to review higher and fur바카라사이트r education in Scotland, including 바카라사이트 ¡°types of programmes of learning or courses of education¡±.

A spokesman for UCU Scotland said that ¡°if 바카라사이트re was a department critical of 바카라사이트 government (ministers) could ask 바카라사이트 funding council to review that¡±. The union did not think 바카라사이트 Scottish National Party intended to interfere with course content, he added, but 바카라사이트 legislation made this a ¡°possibility¡± for future governments.

Although 바카라사이트 SFC would conduct 바카라사이트 review and decide on changes, it was strongly influenced by 바카라사이트 government, 바카라사이트 UCU spokesman said.

Mary Senior, 바카라사이트 UCU¡¯s Scottish official, said that 바카라사이트 changes brought ¡°바카라사이트 possibility of political interference in 바카라사이트 provision and content of courses, undermining both 바카라사이트 institutional autonomy of universities and 바카라사이트 academic freedom of lecturers¡±.

A government spokesman said that 바카라사이트 bill would help 바카라사이트 SFC to ensure ¡°coherence in provision¡± but stressed that universities would remain ¡°autonomous, independent bodies, and 바카라사이트re are no powers over course content¡±.

Robin Parker, president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students in Scotland, said that 바카라사이트 new powers could be used to protect at-risk courses. But, he added, ¡°if 바카라사이트 power were to be used to attempt to force mergers on institutions we would oppose it¡±.

The bill also gives ministers direct power to force universities to do more to recruit disadvantaged students, against rising criticism of 바카라사이트 widening-access record of Scotland¡¯s most selective institutions.

In June, 바카라사이트 NUS revealed that 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews, with an undergraduate cohort of 7,370, accepted just 13 students from 바카라사이트 poorest fifth of Scottish postcodes in 2010-11. It has committed to raise that figure to 20, and 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow has said it will try to recruit 180 students from 바카라사이트 poorest fifth by 2014-15.

The legislation allows 바카라사이트 government to withhold money if a university fails to comply with a widening access agreement.

It also gives ministers 바카라사이트 power to withhold funding until ¡°any principles of governance or management which 바카라사이트 Scottish Ministers consider to constitute good practice¡± are adopted by an institution.

In a statement, Pete Downes, convener of Universities Scotland and vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Dundee, says that it is important ¡°to ensure that 바카라사이트 legislation gets 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 complex relationship between 바카라사이트 Scottish Government, 바카라사이트 Funding Council and universities right¡±. Universities need ¡°a framework of institutional autonomy¡±, he adds.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com.