Hansard

No, I am sorry. I must make some progress.

The colleges have achieved what they have—and I pay tribute to them—because, as the Auditor General for Scotland’s report shows, they have a record level of reserves, which was over £200 million at the end of 2010-11. I have been gratified that so many of those who lead and govern the sector have understood and respected our decisions and have used their own resources to move forward, even though they may have disagreed with aspects of what was being proposed.

College sector reform—I repeat this—is therefore not only necessary, but possible. There is and there remains a compelling case for change. However, I accept that no Government, whatever its majority and its hue, can inspire sustainable change without dialogue with and the ability to work alongside those who lead, who govern, who teach and who study.

Regionalisation, which is at the very heart of our changes, is about improving the prospects for those who study, who teach and who lead, and it is driven most of all not by geography but by the need to deliver for all communities. I mentioned the volume of learning as the key measure of performance, but there is another key measure, and that is the quality and economic relevance of what is delivered.

Let me paint two quick scenarios. In the first scenario, colleges see the need to use their resources to deliver a high volume of short or part-time courses that respond to particular social, cultural or economic demands. In the second scenario, which is the relevant one during a recession, colleges decide that the priority for both the learner and the economy is to use the resource more intensively by offering a higher proportion of full-time courses to meet a strategic employment imperative. We have moved, in a number of years, from the first scenario to the second. Those who are preoccupied solely with headcount fail to understand that.

Of course colleges should be inclusive; they should work with those who are furthest from the labour market—and I have seen that clearly at John Wheatley College. Colleges should ensure that those with learning and other difficulties are assisted. I discussed that matter with the cross-party group on learning disability and I am keen to see the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council take it forward in outcome agreements.

There are other bodies and schemes that deliver training, and my colleague Angela Constance is deeply involved with those. There are ways in which we need to bring together those schemes with the third sector, private training providers, colleges and SDS. Above it all, and surrounding it all, is the opportunities for all initiative, through which we strive to ensure that every young person is offered a place in education or training if they are not in work. That is a unique offer that is being made by this Government.

I will touch briefly on two other issues. On mergers, I will approve no merger unless I am satisfied that the legitimate interests of all those affected—learners, employers, staff and the community—have been taken into account. The mergers that are being explored are the results of decisions by the governing body of each institution. They do produce significant benefits. According to the SFC, the savings will exceed £50 million by the academic year 2014-15. They bring overdue efficiency to a sector that retained its former configuration for too long. We have seen that at the City of Glasgow College and I am confident that we will see the same following the merger of the rural colleges and the creation of the new multi-campus Edinburgh college.

The Government has been challenged to reform our public services to meet the demands of the future. The independent budget review, which now guides the policy of the Labour Party, highlighted the number of colleges across Scotland and challenged us across the public sector to

“encourage progressive changes and joint action between public bodies to produce new and more effective service delivery models.”

That is precisely what we are doing.

I also want to touch on the reform and renewal of the college estate, because there has been a transformation. When we came into office in 2007, a number of redevelopments were under way. I am glad that they were undertaken by our predecessors, and we have carried on that good work. However, that good work, be it in Dundee, Fraserburgh, Thurso, Glasgow, Inverness or Kilmarnock, will also have an effect on how services are delivered.

I want to mention one more thing that we can do. In his review of college governance, Professor Russel Griggs asked us to establish a strategic forum in the sector. I am going to put that into practice. The initial membership of the forum will be the chairs and regional leads, and I will meet them shortly to listen to their views of how the Scottish Government should take forward the programme of reform—yes, in the light of the issues that have been raised in recent weeks. I hope, in time, to expand the forum, listening to those people and bringing in other views and voices. Indeed, if the Opposition spokespeople want to meet the forum at any stage for discussion, I will be happy to facilitate that once it is up and running.

Presiding Officer, I do not claim, and you know that I do not claim, to be a shrinking violet or a model of perfection. I am committed to getting the best for the students, young people, learners, staff and others in all the sectors for which I am responsible.

The joint amendment from Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems has some positive aspects. The proposers might have found me willing to accept it if it were it not for the political pejoratives within it.

I am passionate about education and about working with others who share the same passion. Education changes lives, transforms prospects, opens up opportunities and creates new worlds. Our college sector is achieving much, but it can achieve more. Change is challenging, but it is essential. In moving my motion, I say this to the other parties, to the Parliament, to the sector, to students and to Scotland: I want to ensure that we do the best by every learner. I ask everyone in the chamber and in the sector to be part of that. I will listen to them and work with them to achieve such progress. Let us not be distracted from that aim.

I move,

That the Parliament recognises the key role that colleges and their staff play in supporting Scotland’s young people, communities and the economy; further recognises their substantial commitment to regionalisation, including the mergers in Edinburgh and Lothians and Scotland’s rural colleges; further recognises that college provision is being prioritised to better address economic needs and support young people at risk of unemployment; welcomes the commitment of the Scottish Government to maintaining both the volume of teaching and full-time equivalent student numbers, including through in-year additional budget support; further welcomes the continuing renewal of the college estate, demonstrated in new facilities delivered or planned at Stirling, Dundee, Alloa, Fraserburgh, Inverness, Kilmarnock and Glasgow, and supports the protection of the college student support budget in 2012-13.

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