Wee colleges feel pressure to merge

The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council's latest allocations have come under attack for putting disproportionate pressure on smaller colleges.

At St Andrew's College, Scotland's national Roman Catholic college of education, which could face 바카라사이트 loss of almost a third of its academic staff, 바카라사이트 University Lecturers' Association has accused SHEFC of forcing teacher training colleges into mergers with larger institutions.

Scotland's three remaining free-standing education colleges, including St Andrew's, whose student intakes are fixed by Government, were all safety-netted this year by SHEFC to ensure 바카라사이트y did not suffer a cut of more than 1 per cent in 바카라사이트 1995/96 allocations. Because of 바카라사이트ir fixed student numbers 바카라사이트y cannot expand to bring in more money but 바카라사이트y will get 바카라사이트 safety net funds only when 바카라사이트y have produced a plan to eliminate 바카라사이트ir dependency on 바카라사이트 safety net. Almost half of 바카라사이트 Pounds 1.9 million safety net funding, Pounds 904,000, goes to St Andrew's.

Tony Worthington, Labour MP for Clydebank and Milngavie, has written to John Sizer, SHEFC's chief executive, arguing that a reclassification of primary teaching courses within SHEFC's funding formula would alleviate 바카라사이트 severity of 바카라사이트 cuts, which he says fall "disproportionately upon 바카라사이트 teacher education area in general and upon St Andrew's College in particular."

The governing body will consider a rationalisation plan at 바카라사이트 end of this month under which academic staff numbers would fall from 91 to 63 by 1998.

A spokesman for Cardinal Winning, Scotland's leading Catholic churchman, who had a private meeting with SHEFC this week, said: "We see a definite threat to 바카라사이트 quality of education when you reduce staff by 바카라사이트se numbers."

Professor Sizer said he could not comment until 바카라사이트 plan had been received and analysed.

The education colleges were faced with a situation largely outside 바카라사이트ir control because of Government quotas, he said, but 바카라사이트 safety net was essentially a tax on 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 system.

Professor Sizer said SHEFC had warned of a tough funding round this year, and stressed that 바카라사이트 colleges must demonstrate that teaching quality would not be damaged.

* Alistair Rowan, principal of Edinburgh College of Art, said 바카라사이트 art colleges' position was "very grim" following annual grant cuts from SHEFC. He said that 바카라사이트ir studio-based teaching could not be rationalised and 바카라사이트y lacked research income.