YOUR leader arguing that Scottish universities like St Andrews should be setting a better example in the use of so-called zero-hours contracts amongst higher education staff ("Zero-hours contracts can mean zero rights", The Herald, November 4) is founded in one part on a statistical error.
The University of St Andrews actually has one of the lowest instances of the use of zero-hours contracts among university staff in Scotland, rather than one of the highest, contrary to the presentation of this issue by the EIS teaching union ("University zero-hours contracts 'hit women hardest'", The Herald, November 4) and the unfortunate impression given weight in your editorial .
In 2012/13, only 51 of 1800 staff at St Andrews were on such contracts, in many cases to suit the circumstances of individual employees. This is one of the lowest recorded levels in Scotland and the UK. In citing St Andrews as an example of a university and a female principal who "should be setting a better example" however, it appears thousands of current students seeking casual work have been added to our staff total, skewing the figures beyond all recognition and leading to the faintly ridiculous conclusion that 61% of all staff at St Andrews are on zero-hours contracts.
As you point out, there is no doubt the use of such contracts is a serious issue in higher education. It would be a great pity if the debate around their use was to become clouded by a failure to present figures accurately.
Niall Scott,
Director of Corporate Communications, University of St Andrews, St Katharine's West, The Scores, St Andrews.
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