THE number of college students in Scotland has been slashed by more than 40,000 in one year despite Government commitments to maintain numbers, teaching unions have warned.
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said official figures showed numbers had dropped by more than 12% between 2010 and 2011 – from 357,729 to 314,585.
The union blamed Scottish Government cuts for the fall in numbers, which follow a sharp decline in the number of lecturing staff.
The row blew up as lecturers held a rally at the Scottish Parliament in protest at continuing cuts to further education.
Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the EIS, said: "The sharp decline in student numbers across Scotland's further education sector shows that continuing cuts to college funding are damaging educational opportunities across Scotland."
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The figures in the EIS news release relate to 2009-10 and 2010-11, and reflect the fact that, in line with Government expectations, colleges prioritised full-time courses – in particular for young people at risk of unemployment – and placed a lower emphasis on part-time courses not focused on employability."
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