EB / News / Finance / Tertiary Education and Training Bill published
Tertiary Education and Training Bill published
EB News: 06/02/2025 - 09:27
The Scottish government has introduced the Tertiary Education and Training Bill into parliament to be scrutinised over this year. The Bill, should it be passed, will make the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) responsible for providing national training programmes and apprenticeships, from Skills Development Scotland (SDS).
This legislation would simplify the funding system of learners at college and university, as well as apprentices in Scotland, and also suggests improvements to the SFC’s governance and how it oversees tertiary education.
Minister for higher and further education Graeme Day said: “The Bill marks an important step in driving improvement in the tertiary education sector and will help ensure that our annual £3 billion investment delivers to greatest impact of learners.
“I am grateful to everyone who responded to our result consultation and who has helped to share the Bill’s provisions. Our proposals aim to reduce complexity and ensure that Scotland’s skills system continues to meet the needs of the future economy.
“I know there is widespread support for simplifying the funding system in this key sector and I hope that the Parliament will support these proposals.”
If the Bill passes, it could come into effect from Autumn 2026.
The government is launching a new programme to support schools in areas of high knife crime and improve pupils’ safety on their way to and from school.
A school food improvement programme is set to launch in Birmingham in 2026, working with schools to improve the quality and culture of food throughout the school day for children and young people across the city.
The government has unveiled a wide-ranging strategy to tackle knife crime, placing school attendance, early intervention, and mental health support at the centre of its plan.
A new report has revealed widening pay gaps, uneven career prospects and ongoing workload pressures across England’s education workforce, raising concerns about staffing in schools, colleges and early years settings.