The Rocks melt wi the sun : The SNP Higher Education Policy

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1 The Rocks melt wi the sun : The SNP Higher Education Policy Dr Margaret Arnott, Glasgow Caledonian University Professor Jenny Ozga, University of Oxford

2 The Title is from Burns Till a' the seas gang dry, my Dear, And the rocks melt wi' the sun! O I will luve thee still, my Dear, While the sands o' life shall run.

3 Challenges Facing HE in Scotland Funding; Social inequalities; Scotland s place in HE system Europe/UK; Functional and territorial interdependencies in HE policy context; Governance and the public /civic role of universities

4 Public and Civic Institutions a University is a trust confided by the State to certain hands for the common interest of the nation. (Sir William Hamilton 1835, quoted by von Prondzynski at the beginning of his Report of the Review of Higher Education Governance in Scotland January 2012) The von Prondzynski report recommended that the title of university be reserved to independent public bodies

5 Mobilising History with contemporary relevance "And this nation pioneered free education for all, which resulted in Scots inventing and explaining much of the modern world. We called this the Scottish Enlightenment. And out of educational access came social mobility as we reached all the talents of a nation to change the world for the better. We can do so again...the rocks wi melt with the sun before I allow tuition fees to be imposed on Scottish students upfront, or backdoor This is part of the Scottish Settlement, our social contract with the people." (Salmond, Speech to SNP Conference March 2011).

6 Political Context Since 1999 the devolved Scottish Parliament had 2 coalition administrations (Lab/Lib Dem); a minority SNP administration ; majority SNP government Increasing divergence cross the UK in HE policy since 1999 (e.g. Cubie Committee, student graduate endowment ; research pooling across Scottish HE) Asymmetric devolution and interdependencies between functional/territorial policy in post devolution UK; Scale of the SNP victory in May 2011 in devolved Scottish election; Electoral divergence across UK UK General Election 2010; Different responses by devolved Scottish Govt/UK Govt to Euro crisis need for public sector capital investment

7 2011 Scottish Election: All Change? Constitutional change is not an end in itself but a means to a better nation. The Scottish National Party is sometimes characterised by others as only a constitution party. In fact, we are not. Constitutional progress is only part of our ambition for our nation. My passion is not to cross some imaginary constitutional finishing line at some point in the future and think, My goodness. The race is won. The challenge that drives me is not the constitution, but the people. My aim is now as it has been in the past, and as it always will be to deliver a better society for the people of Scotland. It happens that we need full powers to do that, but the people come before the powers, the community before the constitution, and the children before the state. Salmond statement to Scottish Parliament, 26th May 2011

8 Political Context: Devolved Government in Scotland & the SNP independence as process or journey ; Intention is to run government in a way to support argument for independence as a means to an end rather than an end in itself; Political outlook/positioning of SNP as party: civic nationalism; social democratic Across SNP government focus upon: 1. economic powers of Scottish Parliament; 2. social contract/partnership/civic society; 3. Self-presentation as a learning government HE policy is prominent in all three areas

9 Travelling/Embedded Policy Inward/outward referencing TSG works with global economic travelling policy but combined in distinctive ways with embedded references to fairness and direct prioritisation of action to break the link between poverty and educational failure (Arnott & Ozga, 2010a, 2010b; 2012). The interweaving of travelling with embedded policy is well expressed in the report on university governance (pp3-4) (next slide)

10 Role of Universities Universities in today s world play many roles of direct significance to society. They stimulate economic development; they provide a focus for cultural growth; they are engines of social regeneration; they play a major part in establishing a positive view of Scotland internationally. Universities are major employers and providers of livelihoods, and they own and control buildings, land and infrastructure that are vital assets for communities. They instigate and nourish public debate, and provide necessary critical analysis of the ideas and actions of public bodies and politicians. (von Prondzynski report on University Governance)

11 In government the SNP have drawn upon the increasing interdependencies in policy environment to develop its modernised brand of nationalism; By pursuing a mode of governance favouring partnership & decentralised modes of working TSG has been able to contrast its style of policy making with the more centralised and directed approach of previous Scottish Executive; HE institutions and SNP policy context post 2011: - Outcomes based policy making/preventative intervention - National Performance Framework - responsible autonomy / civic role of HE

12 shift to outcomes based policy making plays an important role in the discursive shift attempted by the Scottish government towards raising expectations about Scotland's performance and viability as an independent nation; TSG s approach to policy making and implementation including the National Performance Framework has been shaped by a recognition of the interdependencies which exist between the layers of government, and of the need to both draw these levels and interdependencies into the project of governing while enabling a new sense of responsibility and capacity

13 SNP Govt & HE: Abolishes student endowment fee; Joint Future Thinking Taskforce on Universities 2010; Scottish Govt Green Paper on HE Building a Smarter future: Towards a Sustainable Scottish Solution for the Future of Higher Education Dec 2012 (Key priorities - Simplify the learner journey and widen access to universities ) Report of the Scottish Government: Universities Scotland Technical Group on Higher Education, Scottish Government Publication, 28 February 2011 (expert group on funding gap )

14 SNP Govt: HE Developments since May 2011 Review launched of University Governance and Review of College Governance (June 2011) Programme for Govt (Sept 11) Refreshed Govt Economic Strategy (Sept 11); Pre-legislative paper on Reform (Sept 11); Spending Review (education key area of investment) (Sept 11) Youth Unemployment Minister appointed (Dec 11) Review of Higher Education Governance in Scotland Report published (Feb 12) Scottish Govt signs communique at EHEA Bologna Process Conference reinforcing commitment to free access to HE (April 12) Review of University Admissions procedures following reform to school curriculum & assessment - Curriculum for Excellence (May 2012)

15 Concluding Thoughts Implications of increasing divergence for UK HE system ; Increasing Europeanised policy space; Wider debates about the role of universities in society

16 Survival of the democratic intellect? The key principle that the pursuit of learning and scholarship is one in which society as a whole has an interest (von Prondzynski et al 2012). Through the students it sends out into Scottish society, higher education can enrich the activities of Scottish communities. Through the critical social skills which these students acquire on their courses, these communities can learn how to challenge public policy constructively. Through the research which universities undertake, they can provide a means by which Scottish democracy understands its own workings and the effects of its actions. And through being, themselves, instances of civil-society institutions, universities and colleges can teach by example (Paterson 1998)

17 References Arnott M and Ozga J (2010) Education and nationalism: the discourse of education policy in Scotland. Discourse 31 (3) Arnott, M and Ozga J (2010) Nationalism, governance and policymaking in Scotland: The Scottish National Party (SNP) in power Public Money & Management, 30: 2, Paterson, L (1998) 'Higher education, social capital and the Scottish parliament', Scottish Affairs, no.22, Von Prondzynski et al (2012) Report of the Review of Higher Education Governance in Scotlandhttp:// 2/02/3646/0

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