Sums? Edinburgh College must do better

College faces £3.3 million funding shortfall

EdColl

Edinburgh College faces ‘severe financial challenges’ according to a report presented to the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday. The report says the College ‘will face extreme financial difficulties without further financial support.’

The Auditor General reported to the Scottish Parliament on matters raised during the annual audits of three bodies in the college sector.

‘Significant issues’ were identified during the 2014/15 annual audits of Edinburgh College and two others in the West of Scotland: Glasgow Colleges’ Regional Board (GCRB) and Glasgow Clyde College (GCC):

  • problems relating to GCRB’s governance arrangements and its relationships with the three assigned colleges in Glasgow and the Scottish Funding Council during 2014/15;
  • concerns about governance at GCC during 2014/15, including the use of public funds by GCC in relation to legal advice and services during that financial year.
  • concerns relating to severe financial challenges facing Edinburgh College, which led to the body requesting additional support from Scottish Funding Council in order to meet its operating costs;

Caroline Gardner, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “Colleges play a critical role in developing a highly educated and skilled workforce, which in turn helps achieve sustainable economic growth.

“The circumstances set out in these three reports differ, but they all fall short of the standards of good governance or financial management expected of public bodies which deliver services for thousands of students.”

Late last year Edinburgh College management unveiled plans for rationalisation aimed at helping to tackle a growing deficit.

Principal Annette Bruton said then: “We’re reshaping to make sure that we improve student employment possibilities, get more students in and ensure we get students into the right courses.

“We’ve had very high demand for certain courses and we’ve had to turn students away. In the past, we’ve capped those courses and what we’re saying is that we’re going to do more of those and less of something else.”

The College Board has since been boosted by the appointment of four new members in February and there have been discussions between the college and the Scottish Funding Council over a recovery plan. The final version of that plan is due to be submitted to the SFC at the end this month.

More than 16,000 students currently attend Edinburgh College, which was created in October 2012 by the merger of Jewel and Esk, Telford and Stevenson colleges.

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davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer