Duties of Funding Council in relation to widening access
15Council to have regard to desirability of widening access
1
Section 20 of the 2005 Act is amended as follows.
2
After subsection (4) insert—
4A
In exercising its functions, the Council is to—
a
have regard to the desirability of enabling, encouraging and improving participation in fundable further education and fundable higher education by persons belonging to any socio-economic group which the Council reasonably considers to be under-represented in such education; and
b
in particular, promote collaboration and sharing of good practice between the persons mentioned in subsection (4B) in relation to enabling, encouraging and improving such participation.
4B
Those persons are—
a
post-16 education bodies;
b
regional strategic bodies; and
c
post-16 education bodies and regional strategic bodies.
3
After subsection (6) insert—
7
For the purposes of subsection (4A), a socio-economic group is to be treated as under-represented in fundable further education or fundable higher education if participation in such education by persons in that group is disproportionately low.
8
The Council may take into account any social or economic characteristics which they consider appropriate when determining which groups are to constitute “socio-economic groups” for the purposes of subsection (4A).
9
The Council must consult the Scottish Ministers before determining—
a
which groups are to constitute “socio-economic groups” for the purposes of subsection (4A); and
b
whether a socio-economic group so determined is under-represented in fundable further education or fundable higher education.