Source – www.bigissue.com
Impact on Students’ Education
A prolonged pay dispute involving further education (FE) lecturers in Scotland is severely affecting students, with significant reductions in teaching hours and unregistered marks. Amid a severe cost of living crisis, Scottish FE lecturers have faced a pay freeze since 2021, and the current industrial action is seen as a battle not only for fair wages but also for the future of education in working-class communities.
Paula Dixon, an English and Spanish lecturer and branch secretary for the Educational Institute of Scotland – Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA), highlights the critical role FE plays in providing educational opportunities to working-class students. Speaking from the picket line at Glasgow Clyde College’s Anniesland campus, Dixon reflects on the sector’s decline due to persistent underfunding and cuts, emphasizing the stark difference from when she first started 20 years ago. Dixon and her colleagues argue that FE is often overlooked compared to schools and universities, with funding per student significantly lower in FE institutions.
Funding Challenges and Pay Disputes
The current dispute began in November 2022, when College Employers Scotland (CES) proposed a 2% annual pay increase, while inflation exceeded 13%. Despite 18 months of negotiations, CES’s latest offer stands at £5,000 over three years, amounting to an 11.5% pay increase by the end of the period. However, this is considered a real-terms pay cut due to inflation and a decrease compared to other public sector wage increases.
Gavin Donoghue, director of CES, cites severe financial constraints, including an 8.5% real-terms cut in government funding and an additional £32.7 million reduction in the Scottish government’s 2024/25 budget. Donoghue asserts that these financial difficulties limit the ability to offer a better pay deal. Dixon, however, remains critical, describing how many lecturers struggle to meet their basic expenses and are forced into multiple jobs to make ends meet. The intensification of industrial action has led to aggressive countermeasures by some colleges, including the withholding of full salaries from staff participating in the dispute.
Student Perspectives and Future Developments
Students have expressed strong support for their lecturers despite the disruptions. Ryan Donachie, a mature student at Glasgow Kelvin College, notes the significant impact on his education but remains steadfast in backing the lecturers, citing the crucial role FE played in his own educational journey. Similarly, Sher Khalid-Ali, a former student at New College Lanarkshire, recounts how her access to education was threatened by the strike but ultimately benefited from the lecturers’ efforts. Khalid-Ali, now studying social sciences at the University of Stirling, underscores the transformative effect of FE on students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
As Scottish colleges break for the summer, the ongoing dispute continues with EIS-FELA members considering a new pay offer that includes an additional 3% increase in the fourth year of the CES proposal. For now, the future of FE lecturers and the students they support remains uncertain, as the sector battles both financial constraints and the need for fair compensation.
Also Read: Why the Education Sector Needs To Prioritize Cybersecurity?
