The prime minister is intent on making the jobs of those who work in education miserable, the University and College Union general secretary claimed today.

Speaking at the UCU’s online conference, Dr Jo Grady said that the political landscape had become hostile to public education, and said access to learning was harder for those from deprived communities.  

“Despite the first injection of public money into further education we’ve seen in a decade, there have been continuing attacks on members’ pay and conditions,” she said. “In adult education, there still isn’t any light at the end of the tunnel of austerity and we’re still campaigning for better funding. In prison education, members have seen their safety and job security undermined by employers at the worst possible time.

“We’ve seen the political landscape become even more hostile to public education, with a new Tory prime minister winning a huge majority in Parliament, intent on making access to learning harder for those from deprived communities and the jobs of those who work in education miserable.”

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Dr Grady said that, since the coronavirus hit the UK in March, employers had used Covid as “a pretext to continue attacks” on workers and freeze pay, and had undermined the health and safety of staff, students and local communities. 

She criticised the government for having “fuelled a second wave of Covid-19 by telling students they could have a relatively normal experience on FE and HE campuses this year”.

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Dr Grady said: “They did this because they were unwilling to consider alternative ways of funding the sector that could have allowed institutions to put safety first. All of us have a huge battle on our hands to make our workplaces safer now and stop the same mistakes being made again.” 

She also paid tribute to Donna Coleman, a 42-year-old tutor from Burnley College who died of Covid last month. 

“Her passing will be deeply felt by her family, her students and her wider community. Too many workers, including those in post-16 education, have lost their lives to Covid. These deaths are not inevitable. UCU will continue to fight to keep our members safe, and for employers and the government to protect their health and safety,” Dr Grady said.

She pointed towards the 50 per cent rise in UCU members since the pandemic started, and said: “Now, more than ever, we need to build our own power, in our own workplaces, through collective organising, collective bargaining with our employers, and collective action together as workers and with our students.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Throughout the pandemic staff across the education sectors have gone above and beyond to ensure all students and learners have had the support they need to progress. We thank them for all of their continuing hard work and commitment in what has been an unprecedented time for us all. The safety of staff and students remains a priority.

“We want everyone, no matter where they are from, to have the chance to learn the skills they need succeed. Our Lifetime Skills Guarantee will make sure everyone has the opportunity to learn and develop the skills they need to succeed at any age.”

Number 10 have been contacted for comment.