SNP must stop meddling in our colleges and universities say Scottish Conservatives

Ahead of this week's ministerial statement on college and university governance structures, the Scottish Conservative's Education Spokesperson, Liz Smith MSP, has issued a stark warning to the SNP about the dangers of more government control over the further and higher education sectors.

She claimed that the forthcoming ministerial statement on Wednesday which will propose fundamental shifts in the power balance will compromise the autonomy of both colleges and universities.

Liz Smith MSP said:

"I am deeply concerned about the SNP's centralisation agenda and the increased meddling in the running of our colleges and universities.

"While there is, no doubt, a case for improved governance in a few individual institutions, there is no evidence that there is a widespread problem. Indeed, quite the opposite case could be made given the recent outstanding success of many institutions in both the further and higher education sectors.

"The government strings being attached by Mike Russell to the forthcoming reforms are more about the SNP's desire to tell the colleges and universities what to do rather than about providing the best education. Colleges and universities have already come a very long way in making their governance structures more accountable and representative and, quite frankly, I can see no reason to impose rigid regulations.

"Why does the Scottish Government have such scant regard for our colleges and universities and their ability to make their own strategic decisions? Or could it be that ministers have not forgiven both sectors for objecting, quite rightly, to the Scottish Government's current funding policies on colleges and universities."

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