PUPILS preferring a vocational rather than an academic career will be able to spend half a week of their school time at college or university under the first scheme of its kind in Scotland.

The scheme, which is due to start in August, applies to fifth and sixth-year pupils in East Renfrewshire.

So far, 380 pupils in the council's seven secondary schools and one special school have applied for the £400,000 scheme which timetables the vocational hours into their school week as full recognition that the vocational and academic streams have equal weight and importance.

Universities and colleges taking part include the Strathclyde University, Glasgow Caledonian University, Langside College, Cardonald College, Glasgow Metropolitan College and Glasgow College of Nautical Studies.

As project partners, they are offering a wide range of courses under the East Renfrewshire programme, ranging from child care through catering for support-needs pupils from Isobel Mair School, to an HND in engineering at Glasgow Caledonian University.

On completion, the HND can lead to second-year entry into a degree course after leaving school.

The development replaces an existing vocational scheme in which 80 third and fourth-year pupils have been attending colleges for one or two days per week and extends the range of vocational courses to appeal to a wider range of pupils in fifth and sixth year.

The council believes that moving vocational education to fifth and sixth year will be much more effective.

John Wilson, director of education, said: "This is an exciting new scheme involving our schools and the universities and colleges.

"It comes out of our work on A Curriculum for Excellence and reflects our excellent relationship with the post-school sector.

"The scheme ensures our secondary pupils and, crucially, their parents and employers, recognise that we give as much weight to the vocational route as we do to the academic, and allows those pupils who wish, to follow a clear and appropriate vocational path towards a career."

The East Renfrewshire schools that are taking part are Williamwood, Woodfarm, Eastwood, Mearns Castle, Barrhead, St Ninian's and St Luke's High School, and Isobel Mair School.