Tycoon McColl lobbies Swinney over public funding for independent college project
JIM McColl, one of Scotland’s top business leaders and a Government adviser, has lobbied the Education Secretary about the taxpayer funding an independent network of junior colleges.
McColl suggested to John Swinney that the Government policy of funding schools directly could be extended to paying for the radical proposal.
He also informed Swinney that the junior college in Glasgow he has backed financially had a £292,500 funding gap and asked for support in rolling out the plan. McColl, a billionaire and one of Scotland’s richest men, is chief exec- utive and chair of engineering giant Clyde Blowers Capital and a member of the First Minister’s Council of Economic Advisers. Although the Monaco-based tycoon’s background is in business, he and Clyde Blowers helped start Newlands Junior College (NJC) in 2014. The institution caters for pupils who have become “disengaged” from education and offers programmes in personal development and vocational courses.
Ministers helped set up the college, registered as an independent school, with £500,000 of funding and Glasgow City Council also provided finance.
McColl last year called for greater public-sector support for his plan and documents released by the Scottish Government reveal high-level ministerial interest. Last year, the First Minister made a trip to NJC. Civil servants also visited and Swinney, also Deputy First Minister, met McColl at Holyrood. He also visited NJC.
No Government minutes were taken. The correspondence reveals how the businessman believed the colleges tied in with the Government’s own education plan. In a letter to Swinney, McColl wrote that the Government policy of giving £100 million directly to schools was consistent with the NJC model: “This is perhaps one of a number of mechanisms that government might use to ensure the future sustainability of a group of junior colleges.” Ministers are also committed to moving towards a national funding formula for schools, which McColl wrote could fit in with his college model:“[I]t could also be used to generate a basic public sector contribution to the costs of establishments such as NJC.” On funding, McColl said he and Clyde Blowers cover “most of the funding”, adding: “I would like Scottish Government support for the college. We have a gap on funding of £292,500 for this academic year.”
Ross Greer, Scottish Green MSP, said: “If funds designed to tackle inequality in education are to be given out to non-state schools there must be complete transparency.”
The EIS union said: “The notion that any public-sector funds should be diverted from already cash-strapped schools to service independent provision is one that the EIS would oppose.”
Scottish Tory education spokesman Liz Smith said: “NJC has been hugely successful and Jim McColl is absolutely right to make the case for setting up similar colleges.” The NJC said: “NJC is currently in its third year and has proven to be a huge success. The first cohort graduated last year with all students moving onto sustained positive destinations.” A Scottish Government spokesman said it was considering the NJC proposal, adding: “There is no requirement for minutes to be taken at all Scottish Government meetings.”