While I disagreed with much of the article by Pam Currie, of the Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA) (“Colleges aren’t the personal fiefdoms of their principals”, 14 July), I agree with her main argument.
Colleges are public bodies that exist to serve the public interest, providing a range of opportunities for more than 227,000 learners a year in Scotland.
They are no one’s fiefdoms - they don’t belong to individuals, employers or trade unions - and using language that suggests otherwise is an unhelpful way to discuss the sector.
The restoration of national bargaining to colleges is positive for the whole sector, benefiting our 11,000 dedicated staff. Inevitably, it has been a process of significant complexity and scale, but it’s a prize we should all want to keep.
The agreement reached on 19 May at the NJNC (National Joint Negotiating Committee) is a generous one. It is being implemented while, as both sides acknowledged, some elements are yet to be finalised. The total cost of national bargaining for all staff will increase by £100 million over the next three years, which is money that won’t be available to invest elsewhere in the sector. While the agreement does not fully address developing a workforce for the future, the need to modernise and professionalise to support our students remains a priority.
Focus on the bigger picture
The most disappointing aspect of Ms Currie’s article was its almost complete failure to mention the needs of the wider society that colleges serve, while the only reference to students was to those who supported EIS-FELA during the recent strike.
We all need to focus on the bigger picture. There needs to be greater recognition of the college sector’s crucial contribution to supporting Scotland’s labour market and its job in ensuring that all students have the right skills and training.
More than a third of working-age students study as part of their occupation, and more than 80 per cent of those who gain a qualification go on to positive destinations. Colleges are committed to engaging with employers to support the economic needs of their regions. And colleges have a central role to play in shaping a fairer, more equal and more prosperous society.
Today’s college sector delivers 28 per cent of higher-education provision in Scotland, with 19 per cent of all students studying at a level equivalent to first- and second-year at university. Meanwhile, 13.5 per cent of college students came from the 10 per cent most deprived communities in 2014-15, and 47.4 per cent from the 40 per cent most deprived communities.
There is a lot more work to be done, but these figures demonstrate the role of colleges in widening access to higher education.
This isn’t just good work - it’s essential. In Scotland’s college sector, we can and must do it together.
Shona Struthers is chief executive of Colleges Scotland
