By Paul Little

YESTERDAY’S publication of the Scottish Scottish Funding Council’s Review of Coherent Provision and Sustainability is important: its impact on learners and employers will be profound. Scotland’s largest quango is in listening mode, raising now a mirror to reflect the aspirations and exasperations of its post-school stakeholders.

Astute observers will take note of its strategic intent and direction of its early recommendations since this is a unique opportunity to affirm a system-based approach to tertiary education that cherishes all its institutions as national assets. SFC’s Council will ultimately decide how best its c £2 billion budget is deployed; but employers and employees will expect a marshalling of their considerable resource to deliver a skills-led recovery as furlough reaches its cliff edge. Beyond supporting the urgent, SFC’s review must ultimately transform the life chances for learners of all ages and abilities, in our tertiary institutions, as part of a seamlessly integrated education and skills system with more ladders, more bridges to opportunity, fewer wrong turns.

Eight months ago, Audrey Cumberford and I published our Cumberford-Little Report on Scotland’s colleges’ economic impact. I’m heartened to see our work cited frequently by SFC. Now, in my personal capacity, I see four key priorities for SFC following yesterday’s report:

• Recognising the assets created by college reform. The UK’s College of the Future Commission is impressed by Scotland’s colleges of scale and impact. But an imprecise definition of purpose, and bureaucratic, atomised funding holds us back. We need a "mission-driven" approach to funding, governance, performance, and accountability, and a shift from cross-silo to system leadership. Helpfully, SFC’s report identifies the possibilities of a new “SFC framework” and a “tertiary budget”;

• A coherent, balanced tertiary system where all actors’ strengths are recognised, and investment decisions made accordingly. We’re some way off that, but SFC notes the Commissioner for Fair Access thinks “Scotland is in a better position to develop a truly tertiary education system than any other UK nation …”.

• Retaining flexibility and agility to help individuals, employers, and communities. Colleges respond rapidly to crises – we helped avert widespread youth unemployment after the financial crash of the mid-2000s, and we’re poised to up- and re-skill individuals as we mitigate the socio-economic damage wrought by Covid-19. This process will continue: the pandemic will propel us into a world where learning is not the preserve of the young, but a lifetime experience. As the philosopher, Eric Hoffer put it: “In a world of change, the learners shall inherit the earth, while the learned shall find themselves perfectly suited for a world that no longer exists”.

• Funding remains a problem. While we recognise the multiple calls on the Scottish Government, the UK Government plans to invest substantially in colleges. I know smoke and mirrors can accompany such promises. But a three-year investment of some £4bn implies Barnett consequentials of £400m. Our colleges need that investment in their digital infrastructure to tackle digital poverty. And there remains a significant imbalance between Scottish Government investment in colleges and universities, particularly on relative levels of innovation and strategic funding. Unit costs of provision in the two sectors differ markedly. The point is that colleges must be properly resourced to do the national job expected of them.

Delivery will require focus and resolve. However, economic recovery, and our skills and learning future depends on SFC and its Scottish Government partners getting this right. I applaud this courageous report, and look forward to supporting Karen Watt, her team and the SFC Council as they pick up the pace. We are off to a very good start.

Paul Little is Principal of the City of Glasgow College