SNP college cuts need to be reversed

Tomorrow, the Scottish Conservatives will demand that John Swinney has a major re-think of his budget proposals for college funding, which by 2014/15 will see a cut of £74million. There is deep-seated concern across the further education sector that there will now be additional cuts in staffing and in student places on top of those already suffered in 2011.

The Scottish Conservatives will use their Parliamentary Business debate in which they will be supported by both Labour and the Liberals to increase the pressure on Cabinet Secretary, Mike Russell. He has been the target of a high profile student campaign, protesting at the extent of the forthcoming cuts.

Conservative Education Spokesperson, Liz Smith MSP said:

"There is an overwhelming opinion across Scotland that the proposed cuts to the further education sector are excessive and will be deeply damaging when it comes to maintaining college places and staff numbers.

"This comes at a time when unemployment amongst young people is at a particularly high level and when the Scottish Government is supposed to have a flagship policy which ensures all 16-19 years olds have some kind of educational or training opportunity if they are not in work.

"Cutting teaching budgets by 8.5% will be very damaging and it is the main reason why every MSP has been receiving thousands of emails from students everywhere.

"Helping the economy to grow should be the main focus of the forthcoming budget – that will not happen if these college cuts go ahead."

Motion S4M-01876: Liz Smith, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 31/01/2012

College Funding

That the Parliament warmly congratulates Scotland's colleges in terms of the outstanding contribution that they have made to improving educational opportunities for a wide range of learners, improving the alignment between available skills and local employment opportunities and in embracing the need for structural reform; condemns the Scottish Government for forcing on the sector deeply damaging financial cuts for the period 2012-15, which are disproportionately greater in 2012-13, and which will inevitably have a detrimental impact on staffing, student places and support for students from more disadvantaged backgrounds; fails to understand how these financial cuts can be reconciled with the Scottish Government's flagship 16 to 19 policy and the need to address the very worrying youth unemployment statistics that have revealed that 88,000 young people aged 18 to 24 are now out of work, and calls on the Scottish Government to urgently reconsider the proposed budget settlement for the further education sector.

Back to all posts