Its the end of term almost and what a term it has been.
In my own college a staggering 86 staff have been made redundant in all departments across the institution out of 500 staff. There could possibly be more when you include all the part time teaching staff who won't have any evening classes to teach come September.
None of this has been reported in the press however and when you look across all the colleges, the numbers must be in the 1000's of people who have lost their jobs.
Who do you lay the blame at here?
1. The truly worst labour government in history
2. The money grabbing quango that is the LSC
3. Principals of colleges who couldnt run a whelk stall.
I keep in touch with colleagues across the UK via e-mail and I have found that the same thing is going on in colleges all over the country.
One Principal has just given all the staff at one college new contracts. 950 hours of contact for September 2006, a case of take it or piss off and we'll employ somebody cheaper.
All we have seen from Labour is a worsening of conditions of service over the past 9 - 10 years. Christ, even the tories were'nt as bad as this lot. Think about it. When Thatcher was elected in 1979, FE hardly changed at all in all her 11 years of premiereship. Phoney Tony and his Lordy chums from Eton have decimated the sector more in less time. Five education Secretaries in 9 years tells its own story - no stability in an already rocky ship where FE is always last in line for any money.
Quango after Quango set up, market forces, all the hysteria over retention and achievement - a battle no college can ever hope to win!
Declining resources, creaming off much needed money for colleges by the robbing scumbags of the LSC. Down and down and down. The skill-centerisation of the sector.
The latest scam is called TRAIN TO GAIN. This is really putting the money for training in the hands of employers now. Now shoot me if I'm wrong but when dis SME's ever care a toss about training their employees? They will just pocket the cash and sod colleges.
No theres nothing this government can be proud of where FE is concerned. After nearly 10 years of their shambolic antics, I for one cannot wait for David Cameron to get elected. He surely has won my vote already.
BLAIR OUT!
BBD
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