03 - Scotland - Specific legislative framework
The Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992 made fundamental
changes in the organisation of post-school education in Scotland.
Further
education colleges (now usually called simply colleges), which had
previously been the responsibility of the education authorities, became
"incorporated" (i.e., self-governing) under the general supervision of
the then Scottish Office Education Department (and later that of the
Scottish Government Lifelong Learning Directorate (SGLLD)).
The
1992 Act also created a separate Scottish Higher Education Funding
Council (SHEFC). This action removed the dividing line which existed
between the former Central Institutions and the universities in respect
of their funding mechanisms and created a distinctly Scottish body able
to take major decisions affecting the future of higher education in
Scotland. As indicated
five of the former Central Institutions met the criteria laid down for
university status. In addition, Queen Margaret College, another former
Central Institution, became Queen Margaret University College in 1998.
Bell College, Hamilton, and the University of the Highlands and Islands
(UHI) Millennium Institute became higher education institutions in
2001.
From 1 July 1999, under powers provided in the 1992
Act, a Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC) came into
operation, replacing the former FE Funding Unit of the then Scottish
Office Education and Industry Department (later the Scottish Government
Lifelong Learning Directorate (SGLLD).
The Further and Higher
Education (Scotland) Act 2005 dissolved SFEFC and SHEFC and created a
new Scottish Funding Council (SFC). The 2005 Act repealed the sections
of the 1992 one which referred to the old Councils. Merging the two
Funding Councils allows a more strategic overview of both the FE and HE
sectors, increasing transparency and allowing more coherent
decision-making which will benefit learners, institutions and the
Scottish economy. SFC is responsible for funding Scotland’s Colleges
and Universities. The Act also extends the powers of the Scottish
Public Services Ombudsman to the actions of FE and HE institutions.
In
1999 the then Scottish Executive decided to separate pre-school and
school education from post-school education, training and industry.
This move recognised the growing importance of lifelong learning to the
economic well-being of Scotland. The Scottish Government Lifelong
Learning Directorate (SGLLD) is now responsible for this post-school
area.
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009
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