25 January 2000

SEAN FARREN: STATEMENT ON STUDENT SUPPORT

The Minister for Higher and Further Education, Dr Sean Farren, today commented on the decision of the Scottish Executive to change the current system of student support funding fees following the Cubie Report and the Department for Education and Employment's (DfEE) support announcement of a package for mature students.

Dr Farren said: "One of the central planks of the work of my Department is to bring about the widest possible access to higher and further education.

"In that regard, I have already made it very clear that I am fully committed to a review of our existing structures of student support and that that review will be informed by the Cubie Report and the Scottish Executive's decisions in relation to it.

"I will announce details of that review very shortly, but I can confirm that it will also take account of the DfEE package to widen access and tackle hardship in higher education in England.

"Clearly the Northern Ireland system is not the same as that in Scotland and it would be inappropriate for us simply to take from the shelf a set of recommendations made in another context.

"Equally, however, we cannot take our decisions in isolation and I have today asked my officials to contact their counterparts in England, Scotland and Wales with a view to discussing the wider implications.

"The bottom line is that we must create the environment which gives our students the best possible chance to get the education which is most appropriate for them."

For further information please contact Simon Burrowes on 01232 257831 or 0850 976067.