Holyrood must not dilute key elements of education bill, says UCU

The union said the Post-16 Bill legislation is essential to help attract students from the most marginalised backgrounds to university and to ensure universities face proper scrutiny.

UCU said the key section of the bill - concerning governance of universities, which would increase democracy and transparency in decision-making at the top level - should be enhanced to ensure staff have a greater say.

The union says a recent review of higher education governance by Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski should be implemented in full.

More on that review can be found at our campaign page.

UCU Scotland president, Gordon Watson, said: 'UCU supports legislation to encourage more people to apply to university and proper transparency of decisions universities take. History has shown that voluntary agreements simply do not deliver improvements in either area.

'Proposals to get students from the most marginalised backgrounds to consider university can only produce results if staff are fully involved in the process. Similarly, governance is central to the management of our universities and can only be improved if the expert voice of staff is listened to.

'We have to strengthen academic input on university governing bodies to protect the distinctive ethos of the university and its independent role. The big decision-making bodies must not just be there to rubberstamp senior managers' plans.'