Statistics Publication Notice: Lifelong Learning Series: Higher Education Students and Qualifiers at Scottish Institutions 2009-10

Developments to Measures of Participation in Scotland

In December 2009 the Employability, Skills and Lifelong Learning Analytical Services Unit ( ESLL- ASU) of the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council formed a working group to improve the relevancy and value to users of measures of participation in higher education in Scotland. The working group commissioned research to examine current approaches to the measurement of participation in Higher Education ( HE) and to advise on possible options for further development, including the use of the current measure of participation in Scotland, the Age Participation Index ( API).

In 2010, as part of this research, ESLL- ASU held a consultation with users and stakeholders to outline their interest in the HE-topic and what criteria mattered most to them in the measurement and assessment of participation in HE. The responses to the consultation were shared with Geoff Cohen of Geoff Cohen Consultancy, who lead the research and compiled a report for SG/ SFC on the views of users. This report has been published and can be accessed at the following web address, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/08/17120618/0.

The short term options for development have been implemented in the latest publication of the Age Participation Index ( API) for Scotland (2008-09), this publication can be accessed at the following web address, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/08/25161104/0.

The current focus of the working group is on implementing the medium term recommendations from the review. Users will be updated of progress in June/July 2011 on the consultation section of the Scottish Government's Lifelong Learning Statistics website, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Lifelong-learning/scotstat. The Scottish Funding Council will also provide a consultation on the proposed developments in June/July 2011. For more information on the consultation or on the work on new participation measures please contact Helen Storkey at the Scottish Funding Council using the details below.

Helen Storkey

E-mail: HStorkey@SFC.ac.uk

Tel: 0131 313 6616