Abstract
Further education colleges (FECs) are now major providers of higher education (HE) at undergraduate level in Scotland, through the provision of Higher National Certificates (HNCs) and Higher National Diplomas (HNDs). The experience of students studying in FECs is in many respects different from the experience of students in higher education institutions (HEIs), and we now effectively have two parallel systems of HE in Scotland - one provided by the HEIs and the other provided by the FE colleges. However, this has been a largely unplanned development, and while there are many links between the two systems these have mainly developed through local agreements. It is increasingly important that we look more systematically at the role of these two systems, the opportunities they provide for students, and the issues which must be addressed if we are to have a HE system in which the different elements are complementary, and which meets the needs of students and of the wider society in the most effective way. These isues are also being considered in the current Inquiry into Lifelong Learning by the Scottish Parliament's Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee, and in the Scottish Executive review of higher education. This is therefore an important opportunity to address these issues, and to take steps to establish a more satisfactory system for the future.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call