We have welcomed the opportunity to respond to the Scottish Government’s post-school education, research and skills: interim purpose and principles exercise. We have engaged with the Scottish Government during the consultation phase, which closed on 24 March 2023, culminating in our formal response to their draft.
Tag: Equality and diversity
Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill: written evidence
Ahead of giving evidence on the Disabled Children and Young People (Transitions to Adulthood) (Scotland) Bill at the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee on Wednesday 8 February 2023, we have submitted written evidence to the committee.
Response to Professor Hayward’s Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment
We have responded to the consultation on the options for change as part of Professor Hayward’s independent review of the future of qualifications and assessment in Scotland. In our submission, we support the opportunity for learners to have diverse opportunities to meet their needs and interests as they move beyond school to college, university, training,…
Student accommodation briefing
The brief gives an overview of the range of actions that universities have been actively taking to anticipate and mitigate the pressures in support of their students. The brief includes a range of further actions institutions are keen to explore and a set of actions that universities would like to see Government and other partners take forward.
University dedication to widening access continues to reap results
We are welcoming new figures that show more people from disadvantaged areas in Scotland are applying and being accepted into university. The figures come from UK’s shared admissions service for higher education, UCAS, who have released its data resources for the end of the 2022 application cycle. The figures show that the number of applications…
Scotland’s universities lead the way in widening access to students with care experience
A new report into the educational experience of students with a care background has hailed the progressive approach taken by Scotland’s universities in committing to a care experience guarantee in 2019, highlighting the positive impact it has already had on this group of students. The report, Next Steps: What is the Experience of Students from…
Actions required to maintain momentum towards the 2030 access targets for Scotland
Dr Kirsty Conlon, our Head of Learning and Teaching and Widening Access Policy shares her thoughts on what steps the soon to be announced Commissioner for Fair Access should be prioritising. A shorter version of this blog appeared on Wonkhe. Universities in Scotland are expecting an announcement on who will be the next Commissioner for…
Proposed Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill
Universities Scotland have responded to Liz Smith MSP’s proposed Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill which has just completed its consultation phase. Universities Scotland, representing Scotland’s 19 universities are supportive of this proposed Bill as we consider there to be helpful evidence of the educational and wider benefits that outdoor education offers young people across…
Our response to Sir Peter Scott’s Final Report as Commissioner for Fair Access
Responding to the final report from the Commission for Fair Access, Sir Peter Scott, Director of Universities Scotland, Alastair Sim said: “Scotland’s universities have achieved a lot when it comes to widening access in recent years. As a sector, we have introduced the most progressive admissions policies for students in the UK and have reached…
Universities Scotland’s submission to the Education, Children and Young People Committee on the attainment challenge
We have provided evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People’s Committee to assist with their inquiry on the attainment challenge. Our submission highlights the role that the attainment challenge will play in ensuring fair admissions to universities; the key role that better data could play in making decisive policy interventions as well…