SLS

Delivery Partnership Steering Group [return]
The President, Brian Cooklin, has been invited to join the Delivery Partnership Steering Group which was set up by the UK Government to enact the recommendations of the Schwartz Report which investigated widening access to Higher Education.

To some extent, this was prompted by the failure of highly qualified state school pupils to gain places in top universities.

The main aim is to prepare for the introduction of a Post-Qualifications Application System (PQA). This would mean that people could only apply for a university place once they had received their results in the summer.

It is a policy to which School Leaders Scotland is opposed for the following reasons:

Over 70% of Scottish applicants are pre-qualified since they have obtained sufficient grades at Higher level to gain entry into their chosen course. In the rest of the UK applications are based on teacher estimates only – if these underestimate the final result an applicant may not secure an offer of a place or lead to a place on a course requiring lower grades.
Exam results would have to be brought forward into July with all the corresponding consequences for releasing staff as markers, setters and verifiers.
Pupil Support and Senior Staff would have to be available during the summer holidays to help pupils with applications.
Principal teachers may not be available to provide a subject perspective for the reference.
Those pupils who require most support may be at a disadvantage – the very group that the policy is designed to help.


The Scottish Government has reserved its position and has not signed up for the implementation of this policy. Given its complexity, the PQA has been delayed but the group is making other changes to the applications system. For example, 2009 entry will include a fresh application round for any students who achieved better grades than expected and will have a few days to gain another place if they wish. SLS will support any beneficial changes but will remain vigilant in response to moves towards a PQA system.

Posted on 11 August, 2008