Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005

[F1 23D Regional college to have regard to particular matters S

(1) In exercising its functions, a regional college is to have regard to—

(a) skills needs in the locality of the regional college;

(b) issues affecting the economy of the locality of the regional college;

(c) social and cultural issues in the locality of the regional college; and

(d) the needs and issues in relation to Scotland identified by the Council for the purposes of section 20(1).

(2) In exercising its functions, a regional college is to have regard to the desirability of the achieving of sustainable development.

(3) In exercising its functions, a regional college is to have regard to the—

(a) United Kingdom context; and

(b) international context,

in which it carries on its activities.

(4) In exercising its functions, a regional college is to have regard to the educational and related needs (including support needs) of persons who are, and the likely educational and related needs (including support needs) of persons who might wish to become, students of the college.

(5) In exercising its functions, a regional college is to 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 regional college reasonably considers to be under-represented in such education.

(6) For the purposes of subsection (1)(a), “ skills needs ” means any requirement or desirability for skills or knowledge which appears to the regional college—

(a) to exist for the time being or be likely to exist in the future; and

(b) to be capable of being addressed (wholly or partly) by the provision of fundable further education or fundable higher education.

(7) For the purposes of subsection (1)(b) and (c), “ issues ” means issues which appear to the regional college—

(a) to exist for the time being or be likely to exist in the future; and

(b) to be capable of being addressed (wholly or partly) by the provision of fundable further education or fundable higher education.

(8) For the purposes of subsection (5), 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.

(9) A regional college may take into account any social or economic characteristics which it considers appropriate when determining which groups are to constitute “ socio-economic groups ” for the purposes of subsection (5).

(10) A regional college is to have regard to the under-represented socio-economic groups identified by the Council for the purposes of section 20(4A) when determining—

(a) which groups are to constitute “ socio-economic groups ” for the purposes of subsection (5); and

(b) whether a socio-economic group so determined is under-represented in fundable further education or fundable higher education.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 23A-23D and cross-heading inserted (3.3.2014) by Post-16 Education (Scotland) Act 2013 (asp 12), ss. 5(2), 23(2); S.S.I. 2014/21, art. 2, Sch. 1