|
January
2002
MEETING
WITH WENDY ALEXANDER
Members
are aware that the SFHEA has been trying for over a year to obtain
a meeting with Wendy Alexander, Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong
Learning, in order to raise issues of major concern to our members.
A meeting is now due to be held on Monday 11 March 2002.
Included
in the submission to Ms Alexander are two issues which were raised
with both of her predecessors but have to date received a negative
response. We have been calling for the Further and Higher Education
(Scotland) Act 1992 to be repealed and the sector brought back under
either Council control or the direct control of the Scottish Executive.
SFHEA members are only too well aware of the mismanagement by some
college managements and this view was backed up by the Audit Report
Scotland. What competent college management would allow deficits
of up to £2M being accumulated before taking action to correct it?
What competent college management would see the only way to resolve
this matter is to make very knowledgeable and experienced lecturing
staff redundant? How can the Government provide quality lifelong
learning with this kind of financial incompetence? They can’t.
Audit Report Scotland made it clear that unless the issue of financial
management is addressed there is a real threat to the range and
quality of courses in Scotland's colleges.
One
of the proposals being put forward to the Minister, to assist in
improving morale and providing a proper career structure in further
education, is that she carries out an investigation into the establishment
of Chartered Lecturer status. The new status was recommended in
the McCrone Report for school teachers and, if established in further
education, would give lecturers the chance to achieve promotion
without having to come out of the classroom and into a management
role. The Government has consistently referred to the imporant role
to be played by the further education sector - it is only fair,
therefore, that these experienced and hard working lecturers are
rewarded for their dedication.
Other
issues raised in the SFHEA’s submission are the Provision and
Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER), the U.H.I.M.I. and the
creation of posts which include duties currently carried out by
lecturers.
The
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have stated that they expect educational
establishments to fully comply with the Provision and Use of Work
Equipment Regulations. Their rationale for this stance is that,
as the operators of the equipment in such establishements would
be novices, schoolchildren and apprentices, their level of comprehension
of the dangers of such equipment must be of the highest possible.
As engineering, building and technology departments in colleges
throughout Scotland have currently and historically not invested
in these areas, compliance with the PUWER directive is probably
non-existent. In the event of an accident the implications of non-compliance
are obvious - prosecution and fines from the HSE, adverse press
coverage and civil claims for compensation.
The
U.H.I.M.I. has been blamed as being one of the main causes of the
financial difficulties which several of its constituent colleges
currently face. As a result of these difficulties lecturers in these
colleges find their salaries and conditions are being held back
whilst at the same time constantly being faced with the prospect
of job losses and/or fewer promotional opportunities. SFHEA members
are also concerned at the way in which the educational services
they provide on behalf of the U.H.I.M.I. in their home colleges
are financed. It is the view of some SFHEA members that the Scottish
Executive are providing Higher Education on the cheap to the students
of the University and at the same time condoning the use of underpaid
labour to provide the service. We are calling on the Minister to
arrange a meeting, as she had previously expressed willingness to
do, with the incoming Principal of U.H.I.M.I. at the earliest opportunity
where these concerns can be raised.
Posts
such as Learning Care Assistant, Tutor and Trainer require the post-holder
to supervise and support students during the learning experience.
These posts are remunerated at a greatly reduced salary and inferior
conditions of service. This practice leads to diminution of the
lecturing profession and could also have an adverse effect on the
quality of provision.
The
meeting with Ms Alexander will be based on the SFHEA submission,
most of which has come from motions to our AGM. The SFHEA representatives
will require evidence to back up the claims made in the submission.
They would be very grateful to receive from members, in writing,
actual examples occurring in colleges which could be quoted at the
meeting. This meeting is our chance to make the Minister aware of
the large problems which exist in the sector. Your assistance in
providing specific evidence would be very much appreciated.
If
you have any evidence regarding college financial mismanagement,
local negotiations, Chartered Lecturer status, PUWER, U.H.I.M.I.,
tutor/trainer posts please either post these to Lyn McClintock,
Deputy General Secretary, SFHEA, Suite 2C, Ingram House, 227 Ingram
Street, Glasgow G1 1DA; fax: 0141-221-2583; e-mail:sfhea@easynet.co.uk
as soon as possible but by FRIDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2002 at the latest./p
PROGRESS
OF AGM MOTIONS
In
the last edition of the newsletter we reported on motions passed
at the 2001 AGM and indicated that we would keep members advised
of progress.
The
issue of Chartered Lecturer status, as indicated earlier in the
newsletter, will be discussed with Wendy Alexander at our meeting
with her. We also wrote to the Association of Scottish Colleges
(ASC) regarding this matter and received a response reiterating
that further education colleges negotiate locally with their staff
on promoted structures. However, they also stated that they have
raised concerns with the Scottish Executive that the McCrone settlement
for seconday school teachers may have an adverse impact on the recruitment,
motivation and retention of lecturing staff in the further education
colleges. The scope for colleges to be more generous has been severely
curtailed by the continuing regime of ‘efficiency cuts’
imposed on the sector. The ASC Board of Directors will be reviewing
staff and employment matters at its next meeting and they will raise
the issue then. They indicated that they would welcome the SFHEA’s
support for the case they will be making for the next review of
the spending plans to ensure that more financial provision is made
for reward and incentives for further education staff. This reponse
was discussed by the National Executive Committee and it was agreed
that we would respond seeking clarification on the case they will
be making to ascertain whether the SFHEA can support them on this
matter.
Following
the disappointing response from the Scottish Further Education Funding
Council regarding the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, as detailed
in the last newsletter, we wrote to the Commission for Racial Equality
seeking their views as to whether this indicated that international
students and/or asylum seekers are being discriminated against.
Their view is that they cannot see anything to suggest discrimination
and they do not believe that college staff should be expected to
provide advice in immigration matters or immigration services and
agree with our stance that, if approached for advice on immigration,
college staff should refer the student to the appropriate body.
The SFHEA’s recommendation to members is that they should give
no advice to students whatsoever unless they have received specific
training.
The
policy of geographical bargaining was adopted by the SFHEA at the
2000 AGM as the first step towards a return to national bargaining.
The commitment to this policy was reiterated at last year’s
AGM. We wrote to the ASC regarding this matter and their response
was that negotiation of pay and conditions for lecturing or support
staff is the responsibility of individual colleges negotiating locally
with their own trade union and staff representatives. They have
asked the Scottish Executive specifically whether it has any plans
to change its policy of leaving pay and conditions for further education
staff to be negotiated locally. Ministers have made it plain that
they do not envisage any change in their policy of requiring each
college to determine and to deliver what is affordable. Nor is there
any prospect of a pay assumption or centrally determined mandate
for groups or for the sector as a whole. So far neither the Scottish
Executive or Scottish Further Education Funding Council have indicated
any concern or wish to align pay and conditions more closely at
local or national level. There is in fact increasing pressure on
each college to take action to contain costs. The SFHEA intends
to take this matter up direct with the Minister for Enterprise and
Lifelong Learning.
TRAINING
SEMINARS
A
questionnaire was sent to branch secretaries towards the end of
last year to ascertain what topics they wished training in and where,
when and what form would be most useful.
From
the responses to the questionnaire it was clear that the majority
of branch secretaries wished training on grievance/disciplinary
representation. This was closely followed by negotiating techniques
and redundancy consultations.
It
has been decided by the National Executive Committee therefore that
the first seminar will focus on grievance/disciplinary representation
and will hopefully be held early in April.
Further
details will be provided in the newsletter as these become available.
KPMG
REPORT
This
Report was issued last year and contained suggestions of possible
mergers between Glasgow colleges. The SFHEA sent a submission containing
our comments regarding the Report to the Glasgow Colleges Group.
A
motion was submitted to last year’s AGM regarding the lack
of consideration to the provision of quality in education within
the KPMG Report. The motion was remitted to the Executive Committee
for further consideration. The Committee decided to write to the
Glasgow Colleges Group to ascertain the progress of consultations
on the Report.
The
Group advised that all responses received during the consultation
were circulated to each of the Boards of Management, to inform their
own reponses, which were then exchanged through the Glasgow Colleges
Group. The outcomes of the consultation, including the final responses
of college Boards, were forwarded to the Scottish Further Education
Funding Council. Issues arising from the consultation were discussed
at a meeting of the Strategic Planning and Policy Group which was
attended by Principals and Chairpersons of college Boards. The Glasgow
Colleges Group now hopes to hold a further meeting with the Funding
Council to consider ways in taking forward the outcomes of the review
and consultation. They will update the SFHEA following this meeting.
The
Executive Committee have decided to await the update from the Glasgow
Colleges Group before further discussion regarding the AGM motion.
EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE
Notification
was sent to branches that there are still vacancies on the National
Executive Committee.
The
Executive Committee meets on a monthly basis and is responsible
for the running of the union between meetings of Council. It usually
meets on the last Friday of the month.
If
you are interested in serving on this important committee and want
further details please contact the SFHEA Office.
COUNCIL
MEETING
The
latest meeting of Council was held at Glasgow Caledonian University
on Saturday 26 January 2002.
The
agenda included meetings of the Salaries and Conditions of Service
Commitee and the Educational and Current Issues Committee.
The
Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee discussed a salary
claim for 2002/2003 which will be referred to the next meeting of
the Executive Committee. The Committee are also advising the Executive
Committee that they wish them to continue lobbying for an independent
salary review and for extra funding for the further education sector.
The
Committee also considered the union’s submission to Wendy Alexander
with a view to providing more detailed information to assist the
SFHEA representatives who will be attending the meeting.
The
Educational and Current Issues Committee discussed the issue of
‘virtual learning’. The Committee agreed that any use
of this should be in addition to the ususal learning process. They
felt that it could be useful, for example, in languages where students
could learn the rules, a program could monitor the student, identify
problem areas, report back to the lecturer who could arrange remedial
work with the student.
The
Committee felt that ‘virtual learning’ on its own would
lead to a lack of conversation and cross-fertilisation of views
between students and between students and lecturers. There was agreement
that there required to be a better definition of the term. The Committee
speculated whether college managements would accept computers as
additional tools for learning and invest funds in the best equipment
whilst at the same time retaining skilled lecturers? Or would this
be used to reduce lecturing staff?
Another
possible problem which was identified was the need to assess the
implications on assessment as it was possible students could download
material and submit it as their own work. A system would have to
be established to prevent this.
SFHEA
COMMUNICATIONS
The
National Executive Committee is currently discussing ways of improving
communication between members and the Officers, Executive Committee
and the Secretariat.
One
of the essential elements of the SFHEA is that members have direct
access to their full-time officials. That direct access is to ensure
that members with urgent employment problems can receive advice
quickly.
To
ensure that the Officials are free to deal with these matters we
would be very grateful if members with enquiries regarding membership,
retirement, superannuation, change of address etc would put these
in writing either by post, fax or e-mail.
We
would also remind members that, although e-mail ensures a very speedy
transmission of their enquiry, the Secretariat cannot be quite as
speedy in responding to the enquiry!
DIARIES/HANDBOOKS
Members
should have received their new diary/handbook before Christmas.
We have had a very positive feedback from members who think that
it is a great improvement.
We
have had a very positive feedback from members who think that it
is a great improvement.
We
would remind members to hold on to their diaries as only the diary
refill section will be sent to you at the end of this year!
IMPORTANT
SFHEA EVENTS
Please put the following important dates, where set, in your new
diary/handbook.
APRIL 2002 TRAINING SEMINAR
JUNE 2002 COUNCIL MEETING
2 NOVEMBER 2002 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The training seminar will be open to SFHEA branch negotiators.
The Council Meeting is open to all SFHEA members.
The Annual General Meeting is also open to all SFHEA members and
is where SFHEA policy is set.
SFHEA
MEMBER NEWS
We
have been advised that one of our Honorary Vice-Presidents, Dr Hari
K. Seth, who was formerly a lecturer at Stow College and Clydebank
College, has been invited to the Botanical Research Institute in
Canton, China.
We wish Hari all the best for his trip and hope he remembers to
send us a postcard!
Past
Newsletters
|
