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P33: Sixth form colleges
Biting cuts
As public sector cuts begin to bite in sixth form colleges, David Powell describes how NUT members are campaigning to defend the sector – for teachers and students alike.
Sixth form colleges are hugely successful, in terms of educational achievement and as a bridge between school and university or work. Yet this Government has cut college funding for 2011 onwards by much more than for schools.
Information collated by NUT sixth form college reps and members has highlighted the impact of the cuts. Teachers face redundancies, increases in class sizes and longer teaching hours. Now employers are refusing a pay increase this year despite commitments made last year when teachers’ pay increased by 0.75%.
Despite the funding problem, the NUT believes a pay increase in sixth form colleges this year is imperative. Last year, when pay comparability with schools was broken, the employers made a commitment to restoring comparability as soon as possible. With a pay freeze facing school teachers this year, the failure to make any offer at all casts doubt on the sincerity of that commitment.
Some colleges are reducing the number of courses offered (particularly those with smaller groups) or reducing taught hours for each course. In many colleges, teachers will have fewer resources to counsel students or help them prepare for university applications. All of this puts at risk colleges’ ability to deliver high quality outcomes for students.
At the same time, students are suffering the abolition of the Education Maintenance Allowance. The NUT, NUS and other unions continue to campaign for its restoration.
The impact of the cuts in sixth form college funding highlights the damage being caused by the Government’s wider cuts agenda. Despite colleges’ success, the year-on-year funding cuts they face through to 2015 could cause irreparable damage. That’s why the
NUT is campaigning to restore funding and protect teachers’ pay and conditions, including working with the other unions to secure an acceptable outcome to the pay negotiations.
Our campaign depends on mobilising members and building support. NUT reps and members in sixth form colleges are building the campaign, sharing ideas and experiences. NUT members have already contacted MPs, and the NUT has lobbied for the restoration of funding and the EMA as part of our work on the Education Bill. We are building alliances with all other interested parties. NUT members in the sector could take action in defence of funding and pay, as well as in defence of our pensions. You can get involved – see below.
• David Powell is NUT Principal Officer for Pay and Education Economics.
You can get involved
Whether or not you work in the sector, get involved in the campaign. NUT information is available on our website pages, while anyone interested in post-16 issues can join the NUT activists’ sixth form network by contacting philippe.harari@runbox.com.