§ Mr. MaclennanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the criteria by which his Department determines that educational establishments in Scotland have achieved polytechnic status; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe criteria for granting polytechnic status in Scotland are essentially those which have been used in England and Wales modified to take account of Scottish circumstances, particularly the different subject programmes used by the Scottish Office Education Department for funding purposes. The criteria are:
- 1. accreditation for taught degrees by the Council for National Academic Awards;
- 2. a higher education enrolment of at least 4,000 full-time (including sandwich) students and substantial part-time provision (of the order of 1,500 students on substantive courses leading to a higher education award);
- 3. at least 300 full-time higher education students in a majority of funding programmes: and
- 4. over two-thirds of full-time higher education students on degree level courses.
§ Mr. MaclennanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those educational establishments in Scotland which his Department has determined as having achieved polytechnic status.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythTwo Scottish higher education establishments have been granted polytechnic status— Napier polytechnic of Edinburgh and Glasgow polytechnic.
§ Mr. MaclennanTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what criteria the Robert Gordon Institute of Technology has failed to achieve polytechnic status.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe Robert Gordon Institute of Technology has not submitted any application to the Scottish Office Education Department to be granted polytechnic status.