Government’s decision to audit college waiting lists, but insists the move should have come much earlier.
At the start of last month figures revealed that 7000 prospective students were stuck on waiting lists for Scottish Colleges.
Education Minister Michael Russell MSP initially dismissed the statistics but has now been forced into an embarrassing U-turn.
Commenting on the news Murdo Fraser MSP said:
“The Scottish Government has spent too much time squabbling over whether there was or wasn’t a shortage of places.
“The decision to audit college waiting lists has come too late for this year’s intake, but perhaps next year’s students will see a marked improvement in the application process.
“The Scottish Government’s current strategy on colleges is denying education to those who need it most.
“Hopefully an audit will illustrate where critical shortages are. STEM based courses and welding have witnessed a dramatic decline in places since 2006. This comes despite industry experts warning of Scotland’s dire shortage of skilled engineers and welders.
“The Scottish Government must realise that unfortunately their higher education strategy is stretching resources too thin in an area that is desperate for support