Recent official statistics have confirmed a significant decline in the number of students studying at Colleges of Further Education in Scotland. This includes cuts of more than 25% in the student numbers at Dundee and Angus Colleges. Both Dundee and Angus colleges are soon to be subject to a forced merger by the SNP led Scottish Government. Like the merger of a Police and Fire and Rescue services, the reduction in the number of Colleges is expected to lead to unrealistic cash savings.
The student groups that have particularly missed out, as a result of the sharp reduction in places, are mature students over twenty five and part time students, especially women returners.
At a time when unemployment in our city is high and many folk are trying to get back into work, College courses are often a helpful stepping stone from unemployment, under employment and those working at home unpaid.
This is another example of short term education cuts that lead to long term damage to individuals that are finding their route to a more successful future blocked.
The report, from Audit Scotland on Further Education Colleges, reveals the damaging effects of the SNP’s swingeing cuts in the budgets of our local Colleges. In fact, the Colleges of Further Education have been on the receiving end of particularly harsh and unrelenting cuts, year after year. There are now fewer adults going to college, more folk on waiting lists, reduced numbers of teaching staff and a decimation of part-time courses.
Audit Scotland have confirmed that the reorganisation of this sector through forced college mergers' and budget cuts; has come at the expense of at least 1200 jobs. It’s a reorganisation built on cuts in lecturers; no wonder staff morale in this sector is low.
Because of SNP choices, 48,000 fewer people are walking through the doors of our colleges. What’s more, part-time places have been slashed, dropping by 40%. These are not just staggering numbers, they subsume countless lost opportunities for many aspiring individuals who have found their way ahead blocked. If you been made redundant or want to go back to work after raising your family, there is now a more limited range and fewer number of places for second chances to learn in order to earn.
It seems the Scottish Government just don't get it; that is understanding the link between investing in learning and growing our economy. Nor do they seem to appreciate the link between informal adult learning and award bearing vocational courses. Ideally the informal community learning provision works as the vehicle for boosting confidence and re-engaging the adult learner. With growing confidence, these learners then need the articulated vocational courses to be running in their local college.
The SNP need to show more leadership here and support colleges to deliver high quality vocational qualifications with articulated links with the informal as part of a long-term integrated employment strategy.
Saving money by merging colleges like Dundee College with Angus College in November this year may sound fine on paper, but we know Audit Scotland is doubtful whether the estimated savings from college mergers will actually materialise. I hope for the sake of students that they do, otherwise our college students will continue to pay the price for the sector being the poor cousin to the Universities under the SNP.
These mergers have been rushed through by the SNP in a desperate attempt to try to reduce the impact of their £50 million cut to the budgets of the Further Education Colleges throughout Scotland.
The name of a college and it’s management structure are minor issues when compared to how our colleges serve their communities. They now have far fewer places for adult learners and adults over 25 wanting to retrain full or part time. College staffing numbers have been reduced along with courses, leaving many young Scots on waiting lists unable to get a place.
It is therefore understandable that Mike Russell MSP, the SNP's Cabinet Secretary for Education, wants to divert attention away from his college cuts. Shiny new name plates and logos can’t disguise the dramatic cuts our further education sector has suffered. Unfortunately, for many prospective students, a Further Education College is less likely now to provide the place to go to learn new skills and retrain.
Dundee and Angus Further Education Colleges have this week published a detailed set of joint proposals for their merger: Decisions and Ambitions for a New College Serving Dundee and Angus.
In the introduction they say:
"In response to the (Scottish) Government’s aims for the reform of further education in Scotland, Angus College and Dundee College are currently working to create a strong and influential college for Tayside. The target vesting day for the new college is 1 November 2013.
As part of the merger planning process, we are holding a formal consultation on the proposed merger, which will run from 8 March to 19 April 2013.
You can read our consultation document online - we would welcome your views on the proposed merger. The responses will help inform and shape the new college.
We consider it critical to our future success that the new college meets the needs of all of our stakeholders, not least our students, staff and employers. You can respond by submitting your comments online or you can download a printable version of the Consultation Response Form.
If you would like to request a printed copy of the Consultation Document or Consultation Response Form, please contact Dundee College Marketing Department on 01382 834948 or marketing@dundeecollege.ac.uk "
Given the importance of Dundee College to the breadth of educational opportunities in our city, I have written to the Director of Education to urge that the prepares a draft response to this consultation and brings this to the next Education Committee for approval.
