An online learning platform that has been supporting Scottish schools for more than a quarter of a century could shut down operations at the end of this academic year, Tes has learned.

Scholar, the partnership between Heriot-Watt University and education directors’ body ADES, was established in 1999 with the aim - as the university said in a statement to Tes - “to deliver high-quality, curriculum-aligned online learning resources for senior-phase learners across Scotland”.

Tes asked for a response from both Heriot-Watt University and ADES after hearing from different sources that there could be doubts over Scholar’s future.

Heriot-Watt told Tes that Scholar is “funded collectively by Scotland’s local authorities, a number of whom are either no longer able to subscribe due to ongoing financial pressures or have taken alternative decisions about their preferred choice of online learning resources for pupils”.

Scholar’s current funding ‘not sustainable’

The university’s statement added that while it had “provided additional financial support to Scholar in recent years, it is not sustainable to continue this level of subsidy on an ongoing basis, particularly in a tough funding climate for higher education”.

It also stated: “Over recent months, Heriot-Watt University has engaged in a Scottish government-led review of online learning in Scotland, which will inform future arrangements. The Scholar partnership currently continues to explore all possible options to secure a sustainable future for Scholar, and discussions on potential alternative approaches remain ongoing. We hope to find a solution but if that is not possible then Scholar will cease operating in its current form at the end of the 2025-26 academic year.”

The university’s statement for Tes concluded: “Depending on the outcome, this will have implications for the Scholar team at Heriot-Watt, and the university is supporting colleagues affected, working closely with staff and trade unions to look at ways to mitigate the impact should Scholar cease operating.”

Tes has asked the university for details of its current funding and staffing arrangements.

In December, the UCU, Unite and Unison trade unions put out a call for “notes of endorsement” for Scholar, in a bid to build a case that “it is a valued national service, deserving of a secure long-term future”.

An ADES spokesperson told Tes: “Scholar has been a valued online resource, bringing education and technology together for 25 years. It has covered a wide range of subjects at different levels across the senior phase. The pace of change in digital technologies, coupled with the emergence of newer, similar online resources such as West OS and e-Sgoil, has resulted in a decline in usage of Scholar across local authorities.”

The spokesperson added: “ADES hopes to continue to work alongside colleagues at Scholar, and with others, to help shape online, digital resources designed to best support our young people across Scotland with their learning.”

In January 2025, Scholar celebrated its 25th anniversary and highlighted that it had 42 complete online courses across 21 subjects at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher levels.

‘Trust and quality’

In a Tes piece that month, Gaëlle Seal-Coon, who became director of Scholar in 2023, said that when Covid hit, Scotland was the only country in the world that had complete access to a wide range of upper-secondary courses online, and that it was still in a strong position.

Ms Seal-Coon said: “We have got the trust, we have got the quality, and I think we are in a really good position now to see how we can harness tools like AI.”

Languages are a big draw for students on Scholar - although as reported in January 2025, National 5 chemistry was the most popular course - at a time when it is often hard for schools to recruit specialist teachers and run languages qualifications.

Ms Seal-Coon said in January 2025 that Scholar was available in most Scottish councils - 26 out of of 32 local authorities subscribed and had full access - but the platform benefited from no direct government funding.

She contrasted this to Oak National Academy, the teaching and learning resources provider set up during the pandemic to support English schools, which was free and funded by government, although the level of funding prompted debate.

She said: “It would be wonderful if Scholar was in a similar boat, because we want everyone in Scotland to benefit from it. But I do understand the funding landscape is restrictive for everyone.”

However, Ms Seal-Coon argued in January 2025 that Scholar was a hugely cost-effective way to open up learning opportunities for all, concluding: “We have been around for 25 years - and we need to be around for the next 25.”

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