Oracle links

SQA has had formal links with Oracle for several years. Oracle has recently updated their Certified Associate curriculum (from 10G to 11G) and requested that we update the links to reflect this change. Our links with Oracle involve college and school programmes. I met with Willie McCabe (of James Watt College) and Wendy Reith (of Royal High School) this afternoon to discuss how we should deal with the changes.

On the college side, we agreed to update the PDA in Database Programming (at SCQF Level 8) to map it onto 11G. We also hope to take the opportunity to reduce this award from its current seven credits to five credits by giving it a core-and-option structure. Willie is going to take this forward.

On the school side, Wendy is going to map 11G onto the Relational Database unit within Higher Information Systems so that school pupils can continue to study the Oracle course in their fifth or sixth years at school.

We hope to complete this work by September. The end result will be that both students and pupils can gain a nationally recognised award (the PDA or the Higher) and also the internationally recognised Oracle Certified Associate qualification. Oracle provides its entire curriculum free of charge to any school or college wishing to undertake either of these awards.

Contact Caroline if you want to know more about SQA's links with Oracle.