Created on: 03 May 2023
Following the announcement made yesterday, the EIS has condemned the Scottish Government’s decision to withdraw a combined £46 million of additional funding for Scotland’s Further and Higher Education sectors.
EIS General Secretary, Andrea Bradley, commented, "The decision made by the Scottish Government to withdraw the additional £46 million for colleges and universities is deeply troubling news. The Scottish Government itself lauded this additional funding when it was announced only a few months ago in October 2022. This funding cut takes the Further and Higher Education sectors back to a flat cash settlement at a time of high inflation."
Ms Bradley continued, "It is very unfortunate that the Scottish Government has now reneged on the modest funding commitment on the very day that EIS-FELA members in colleges across Scotland began taking action short of strike action in pursuit of a fair pay award.
"The Scottish Government's decision will make it more difficult for college lecturers to get a pay rise commensurate with that of their colleagues elsewhere in the public sector and the EIS urges the Scottish Government to rethink this retrograde step without delay."
Ms Bradley added, "Following years of chronic underfunding, the Scottish Government has now, by its own actions, put Further and Higher Education at the very back of the queue in terms of priorities. Students in Scotland’s Colleges and Universities, as well as the committed and hard-working professional lecturers who teach them, deserve so much better, as does our whole society in Scotland which should be able to benefit from the outcomes of quality Further and Higher Education that is properly supported and responsibly funded by our government.
"The Scottish Government needs to provide funding to support education, and to pay all education staff fairly – it is not an either-or situation, adequate funding and fair pay must both be priorities."