A GROUND-BREAKING new model of education for disaffected young people is to be launched this week by one of Scotland's leading businessmen - but without the hoped-for public money to help run it.
Tomorrow multi-millionaire Jim McColl will unveil the country's first junior skills training college, designed to give a tailored vocational education to people aged 14 to 16 at risk of dropping out of school.
The Newlands Junior College, in Glasgow is one of the most significant moves away from mainstream state education yet in Scotland.
It is based in a refurbished office block on the former site of Mr McColl's Clyde Union Pumps factory in Cathcart. Each student will have an individualised timetable and will learn life skills such as motivation and leadership.
They will also be taught academic and vocational subjects, including engineering, administration, construction and hospitality, with talks ongoing with officials at City of Glasgow College to deliver some courses.
It is scheduled to recruit 30 pupils from Glasgow schools later this year, with another group from S4 and S5 starting in 2015. Students will be on a full scholarship and guaranteed an apprenticeship or a place in further education after their two years at Newlands.The original plan was to see the project, estimated to cost £1 million a year, jointly funded between the private and public sectors, with Glasgow City Council providing £100,000 a year.
While Mr McColl and other private investors are backing the project, The Herald understands council funding will not be forthcoming until the college proves it can transform the lives of disaffected teenagers. There is equal uncertainty over proposals for a similar level of funding from the Scottish Government.
Curriculum for Excellence reforms which have been rolled out across secondary schools seek to provide a broad general education to pupils until the age of 15, The Newlands College will see them start to specialise at 14.
Some headteachers are expected to fear that qualifications the pupils would otherwise have achieved at school will be sacrificed by pursuing a vocational career too early. There is also concern that the courses being run are not necessarily aligned to potential apprenticeships.
Mr McColl, who wants to open more such colleges, said: "I believe passionately that there is a cohort of young people that really aren't suited to the academic style of education - 80 per cent of kids are, but 20 per cent switch off at 14.
"My vision was to create a junior college for young teenagers that would give them support and opportunity to move on to a successful and rewarding future."
Iain White, the college principal, who has been recruited from Govan High School in Glasgow said: "The aim of the Newlands Junior College is to deliver a new form of education involving alternative educational programmes.
"These are aimed at young people who may find that their current secondary school education does not best suit their learning styles, needs or goals, but who still have the potential to become successful apprentices and useful employees.
"We believe that, at the end of S4, students will have the qualifications, skills and personal qualities that will let them access one of the guaranteed apprenticeships or guaranteed college courses that will be available."
Mr McColl left school at 16 with few qualifications, but completed an apprenticeship, City and Guilds qualifications, a first degree and two master's degrees.
The entrepreneur built engineering company Clyde Blowers into a business with a turnover of more than £1 billion a year.
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