Multiple Education Programme Development Questions: FOI release

Information requested

1. Has a review of postgraduate funding been undertaken in Scotland this year?

2. Whether there are any measures in place to halt student loan interest during maternity leave?

3. Whether any exploratory work has been taken in regards to a guarantor ship for estranged students to protect them from exploitation in the housing market.

4. Whether a student mental health action plan has been developed in Scotland this year?

5. Whether a new strategy for international education has been developed?

6. Whether a Scottish education exchange programme has been developed in Scotland?

7. What work has been done on a new national transitions to adulthood strategy?

8. Whether the leavers toolkit has yet been published in Scotland. And if not, what progress has been made?

Response

The answers to your questions are as follows:

1) Has a review of postgraduate funding been undertaken in Scotland this year?
A review into the funding provision for postgraduate students has commenced.

2) Whether there are any measures in place to halt student loan interest during maternity leave?
We are currently exploring the mechanisms in which student loan interest could be halted during maternity leave, however there are no measures currently in place.

3) Whether any exploratory work has been taken in regards to a guarantor ship for estranged students to protect them from exploitation in the housing market?
Exploratory work has been taken with regard to exploring the possibility of introducing guarantorships for estranged students to protect them from exploitation in the housing market.

To date we have:

• Met with representatives from Stand Alone, a charity promoting the rights of estranged students, to discuss models of best practice;
• Met with representatives from the universities of Napier, Edinburgh, Stirling and Glasgow to discuss the existing guarantor schemes they have in place;
• Contributed to research being carried out by ScotCen on behalf of the Scottish Government, which will gather information on estranged students, with the findings informing any future changes to the support available to those students.
• In addition, the New Deal for Tenants Report and the Review of Purpose Built Student.

Accommodation also make references to the experiences of estranged students and guarantorships, and this information will also inform our considerations.

4) Whether a student mental health action plan has been developed in Scotland this year?
As set out in the Programme for Government, we are committed to the development of a research and evidence informed Student Mental Health Action Plan. Ongoing work to deliver a plan is informed by a Student Mental Health and Well-Being Working Group, chaired by the Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training The Group has agreed a time line for the completion of the Plan by the end of the financial year (22/23).

5) Whether a new strategy for international education has been developed?
A new international education strategy is being developed.

6) Whether a Scottish education exchange programme has been developed in Scotland?
A Scottish education exchange Programme is being developed.

7) What work has been done on a new national transitions to adulthood strategy?
As set out in the Programme for Government, we are committed to introducing Scotland’s first National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy in this Parliamentary term to support disabled young people as they make the transition to adult life.

To date we have:

• Continued to support The Association for Real Change (ARC) Scotland to trial ‘Principles into Practice’ and its associated resources in 10 local authority areas to identify, design and test changes that that improve planning and delivery of support for young people who need additional support as they transition to young adult life.
• Awarded a short-term social research contract to undertake a literature and evidence review of transitions to adult life, with a particular focus on what disabled young people have said to date to help inform future stakeholder engagement and to support the development of the Strategy.
• Re-formed a cross-policy working group (which was paused during the pandemic) to facilitate greater communication and co-ordination of the breadth of work across Scottish Government which contributes to improving outcomes for disabled young people as they transition to young adult life.
• Begun to develop a communications and engagement plan which includes the participation of disabled children, young people and their families, to take forward our work on the Strategy.

8) Whether the leavers toolkit has yet been published in Scotland. And if not, what progress has been made?
The School Leavers Toolkit was published on 30 May 2022. It is available at https://www.myworldofwork.co.uk/schoolleaverstoolkit.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.