Colleges across Wales say they are being forced to make cuts to courses and jobs as a direct result of a lack of investment in lifelong learning and skills at a time of economic recession.
Assembly Government funding allocations in January 2009 for school sixth forms and FE colleges meant 14 colleges received cuts of around £7mn. 11 more colleges received an overall increase of £4mn – a net decrease of around £3mn. At the time Fforwm, the association of colleges in Wales, described the settlement as “a galling irony” and “not how we expected the Welsh Assembly Government to deal with maintaining a globally competitive workforce through a recession”.
College lecturers and students from across Wales protested outside the Senedd in Cardiff Bay in April at proposed funding cuts to the FE sector. Speaking at the time Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU) said the recession had “reinforced the importance of learning, not reduced it”. She added: “The worst possible thing the Assembly could do is to remove the support that both further education and the country so desperately needs.”
Days later the Assembly Government agreed to provide an additional £8.9mn for FE colleges and sixth forms. Ministers said the money was a “direct response” to the economic downturn.
“As a government we constantly strive to ensure that Wales’ educational provision meets the present and future needs of its people and its economy,” said Education Minister Jane Hutt.
Fforwm, the association of colleges in Wales, said the additional funding would go “some way” towards mitigating the worst effects of increasing costs. But the statement will merely re-instate much of the £7mn of funding to the 14 colleges who received cuts in January. This will mean these colleges receive an increase of just over 0%. They will still have to meet the costs of pay increases and other inflationary expenditure.
In a letter from the Assembly Government to FE colleges, they were told to maintain pay parity with school teachers. School teachers have been promised a 2.3% increase for 2009/10, which in FE college terms, will take about £6mn out of current allocations.
Shadow Education Minister Paul Davies AM contacted all FE colleges in Wales seeking information about their course and staff levels in the new academic year.
Among the responses, colleges reveal that:
- Pembrokeshire College is cutting 9,555 hours from its course provision in 2009/10
- Bridgend College has cut all its full time A-level courses from September
- Gorseinon College in Swansea is cutting adult learner courses
- The College Ystrad Mynach is considering using 15 fewer venues for adult community learning
- Yale College, Wrexham, is cutting some A-level and Learndirect courses, as well as curriculum linked to the Prince’s Trust
- Barry College has extended an overtime ban on staff, held vacancies and delayed replacing staff.
Colleges which are not cutting staff and courses in 2009/10 warn of “radical action” in future years if the financial situation does not improve. FE sector leaders also say that moving resources to accommodate the Assembly Government’s ProAct and ReAct initiatives should not come “at the expense of mainstream provision”.
They also warn that “reduced opportunities” for those aged 19 and over will mean further education in Wales will “not be an attractive or secure sector to work in”, adding that a “migration of talent” to other sectors and to England is likely.
Shadow Education Minister and Preseli Pembrokeshire AM Paul Davies described the findings as “a shocking indictment of Assembly Government complacency, under-funding and skewed priorities”.
Mr Davies called on Education Minister Jane Hutt to meet urgently with college leaders and unions to “get a proper understanding” of the crisis facing the FE sector in Wales.
He said:
“Assembly Government promises to support students and colleges are exposed today as empty rhetoric.
“It is clear that right across Wales the FE sector is in crisis, with inadequate funding and centrally-imposed priorities threatening courses and jobs.
“Labour and Plaid Cymru ministers were dragged kicking and screaming into providing more money for the FE sector earlier this year.
“But even this additional investment amounts to a real terms cut which colleges fear could have long-term consequences.
“To effectively starve colleges of funding at a time of high unemployment and recession is reckless and risks long-term damage to the Welsh economy, skills base, and the promotion of life-long learning.
“We share the concerns of college principals across Wales that this risks the jobs of college lecturers and limits the learning opportunities of both existing students and unemployed workers seeking new skills.
“I accept that all Assembly Government budgets are under strain and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.
“That’s why Welsh Conservatives have consistently called for ministers to re-prioritise spending on areas such as the FE sector, instead of frittering away money on freebies, gimmicks and failed strategies.
“Anyone who thinks the additional money made available to FE colleges somehow solves the funding problem is sadly delusional.
“This is a problem which will not go away until Labour and Plaid ministers accept there is a serious situation they need to deal with. Until that time it is students and staff who will suffer.”
Written on Tuesday, 04 August 2009 10:55 by Richard Winters
