In 2010, the latest year for which figures are available, there were around 2, 400 universities or colleges of further education, of which only a tenth were public.
The research was supportive of the work of further education colleges, but was sceptical about reports of progress.
Mervyn Storey of the DUP was concerned that further education (FE) colleges could suffer as a result of the announcement on higher education funding.
Many of Scotland's 40 further education colleges are currently in the process of a series of mergers.
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It allows the degree-awarding powers of a university to combine with the local reach of further education colleges.
Fforwm - the association of further education colleges in Wales - said it did not wish to comment on specific circumstances in individual colleges.
First, they lost control of polytechnics, then of further education colleges.
An ASCL survey suggested that more than 80% of heads of further education colleges, sixth form colleges and schools with sixth forms believed they would have to reduce the choice of courses they offered while 83% said they believed this age group should attract more rather than less funding than younger pupils.
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The committee then unanimously agreed to approve the draft Public Services (Recovery of Expenses in respect of Inspection of Independent Further Education Colleges and English Language Schools) (Scotland) Order 2012.
This would allow Scottish Ministers to recover the costs of Education Scotland carrying out inspections in independent further education colleges and English language schools.
"Unless we make the system sufficiently nimble to respond to dynamic demand it will not be fit for purpose, " Mr Hayes said, explaining that the proposals would get rid of "a raft of unnecessary and prescriptive duties" and "strip away central controls over further education and sixth-form colleges in respect of their governance and dissolution arrangements".
Scotland's 41 further education colleges are now facing a potential raft of mergers.
The trial this year involved 155 schools, sixth form centres and further education colleges, selected to be broadly representative of the whole state and independent sectors.
And in the past four years, the number of students at England's further-education colleges has risen by a third, despite a slight fall in their real funding.
On the published figures, further education and sixth form colleges did account for most of the worst performers.
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Further education colleges all over the country are accustomed to helping people with all sorts of special needs to get retrained for well-paid employment.
Chief executive of the Learning and Skills Council, which funds further education, Mark Haysom thanked schools, colleges and young people for their hard work.
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Sixth form and further education colleges are usually in main towns - and if students are not on the route of buses, they will depend on lifts to bus stops.
Scotland's further education colleges look set to return to national pay and conditions, ending more than 20 years of separate contracts.
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Further education colleges inspected for this year's report also met assembly government targets, with 81% of work described as "good" or "very good".
Sir Andrew Foster's report on further education in November last year said that teaching quality needed to improve in a small proportion of colleges.
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Those colleges who can go ahead with their projects are: Barnsley College, Bournville College, Furness College, Hartlepool College of Further Education, Kirklees College, Leyton Sixth Form College, Manchester College - Wythenshawe, North West Kent College, St Helens College, Sandwell College, South Thames College, Tresham Institute of Further and Higher Education, Corby, and West Cheshire College.
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