The Herald and its education correspondent Andrew Denholm are to be commended for highlighting the disastrous policy of the Scottish Government in slashing teaching budgets to colleges by 10% in the last two years ("Colleges turning away thousands of students" and "Colleges must not be soft targets", September 10).
I write as an individual who has worked in the college sector for over 33 years, and has been a member of the Educational Institute of Scotland/Further Education Lecturers Association throughout this time.
This Government, faced with having to reduce spending overall, has taken the thoroughly misguided decision to attack spending on further education while trying to claim that student places will be secure and no students will be disadvantaged. The analysis by Andrew Denholm shows that, quite clearly, this is not the case: at a time of massive youth unemployment and real skills shortages facing areas of our economy, qualified individuals are being turned away from colleges in unprecedented numbers due to a lack of funded places.
So what should be done to put pressure on the Scottish Government to reconsider this approach, given that further deep cuts are planned for the next two years?
I believe the EIS, college principals and boards must unite to put pressure on the Government in the following ways:
l Use a series of case studies to highlight the many thousands of people who have benefited from a college education in Scotland. Celebrate the tremendous successes of colleges who support people who have under-achieved at school or are adult returners looking for a second chance at education.
l Identify and lobby those MSPs who have benefited from a college education, as they are more likely to understand the value which colleges bring to individuals, the economy and society in general.
l Lobby Scottish parties to reinstate adequate funding for colleges. Look on education as an investment in our country and its people, not a drain on resources. Re-use the EIS slogan: "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance".
l Provide evidence to the Scottish Government of the unfulfilled demand for college places. I understand that some colleges have been reluctant to go public in case of repercussions from the Government or the Scottish Funding Council. Colleges must speak with one voice, as the university sector does, if they wish to have maximum influence.
Unless something is done to change the direction of college funding, thousands of Scottish people will be robbed of a college education and Scotland will be poorer as a result.
Ron Dillin,
64 Dunedin Drive,
East Kilbride.
I was pleased to see Andrew Denholm highlight the issue of college waiting lists. At a time when considerable attention is being placed on the issue of training and skills, particularly for our young people, the fact that demand for places is outstripping supply needs to be addressed.
In many ways, waiting lists are a success story; despite demographic changes the demand among young people for college places remains high.
The success of colleges in attracting these applications does highlight just how big a challenge it will be for the Scottish Government to deliver on its Opportunities for All pledge of a guaranteed place in education or training for all young people, particularly when funding for teaching is reducing year on year.
While the Scottish Government stated in your article that they have increased funding this year, the core teaching grant for colleges fell in cash terms by 8% (£33.5 million) in the last budget, and just over 10% in the year before.
Last year's cut would have also been 10% had £8 m of teaching grant from the coming 2013/14 budget not been brought forward by the Scottish Funding Council.
We hope frontline teaching funds for colleges will be given priority in the Scottish Government's coming budget, as a skilled and educated workforce is essential if Scotland is to make a full economic recovery.
Colleges must have the capacity and resources to deliver that future workforce.
John Henderson,
Chief Executive, Scotland's Colleges,
Castle Business Park, Stirling.
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