SNP MSP for Central Scotland Christina McKelvie has today (Wednesday) written to the principals of colleges and universities in Lanarkshire to alert them to important improvements to the system of support for disabled students.

Following the first review of the Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA) since the 1970s, the Cabinet Secretary for Education has announced a range of measures to improve support for disabled students, including:
• new procedures that will ensure that ‘exceptional cases’, who do not meet the existing criteria for the DSA but who still need additional financial support to undertake their education, will with the support of their institutions be able to have their cases reviewed by an expert group, quickly and fairly
• guidance making it clear for the first time that students should not be expected to pay for diagnoses to support their DSA applications
• focusing the DSA application process much more clearly on students’ needs
• greatly improved information to the sector to raise awareness among students and staff.

Ms McKelvie said today:

“I want to ensure that all of my student constituents who have the potential to benefit from these important changes to the Disabled Students Allowance are able to do so, which is why I alerted the principals of Motherwell, Coatbridge and Cumbernauld Colleges and the University of the West of Scotland as soon as these improvements were announced by the SNP Government today.

“I am delighted that Scottish students will be the first in the UK to benefit from new procedures which will ensure that students designated as ‘exceptional cases’ will no longer have the door to accessing financial support permanently closed to them but will instead still have the opportunity to get the help they need to pursue a college or university education.

“The changes announced today will help to widen access to higher and further education in Scotland and greatly benefit both current and future generations of students.”

Christina spoke in the debate on 12 March 2009:

“People should be under no illusion about student loans. They burden today’s students with massive debts that restrict their life chances, and remove from the economy money that would otherwise have helped to drive it. Student loans make the recession worse. Anyone would have thought that politicians would be eager to change that system for something far more sensible, but they would be wrong—only one party has put forward a proposal to change it. The SNP believes in access to education based on the ability to learn, not the ability to pay, and we will continue to drive Scottish education in that direction. That is why, when part-time students—who are often the least well-off—had their loans turned into grants, the SNP Government delivered the first part of its programme to provide grants, not loans, thereby improving the lives of 20,000 students.”

Read the full text of Christina’s speech at .=”http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0312-02.htm#Col15717″>

Central Scotland SNP MSPs, Linda Fabiani and Christina McKelvie, will join the annual Mother’s Day show of solidarity with asylum-seeker women detained inside Dungavel this Sunday.

The Mother’s Day Solidarity Gathering outside Dungavel Detention Centre is organised by Justice and Peace Scotland and begins at 1pm on Sunday 22nd March.

Both Ms Fabiani and Ms McKelvie, whose shared constituency contains Dungavel, are long-time campaigners against the incarceration of asylum-seekers.

Linda Fabiani said:
“Once again we mark yet another year when women who have come to Scotland seeking sanctuary from persecution and threats to their lives instead find themselves locked up like criminals. The SNP has always opposed this shameful treatment of vulnerable people on Scottish soil and we will continue to speak out against it until we secure an end to the detention of asylum-seekers in Dungavel.”

Christina McKelvie said:
“I am saddened and angry that the UK Government continues to pursue their disgraceful policy of incarcerating asylum-seekers without judicial scrutiny. I will once again join Justice and Peace Scotland on Mother’s Day to demonstrate solidarity with and support for the women who are trapped in this cruel system.”

Accelerated funds for capital investment in Scotland’s colleges have been announced today by Cabinet Secretary for Education Fiona Hyslop.

The move which sees an additional £2.5 million invested in colleges this year and more money allocated for the next financial year has been welcomed by SNP MSP Christina McKelvie.

Ms McKelvie said;

“Investment in colleges and higher education institutes is vital for helping Scotland through Labour’s recession with capital investment in new college buildings and facilities and support for those facing redundancy.

“Scotland’s colleges are too often forgotten or hidden behind high profile universities.

“Their ability to respond to this economic downturn is a key part of Scotland’s continued success. This money is particularly welcome as it is being made available now allowing colleges to take instant action.

“With additional money already available for colleges to work with PACE to help people back into employment, offering training opportunities and supporting those who are feeling the brunt of Brown’s recession today’s announcement is a further boost to their role.

“With new college buildings underway such as Motherwell in central Scotland and projects like Coatbridge getting underway next year Scotland’s colleges are demonstrating the key and often underestimated role they play in our economy.”