Plaid Cymru AM Lindsay Whittle has severely criticised Welsh Government spending cuts in further education.
The South Wales East AM, speaking during a recent Plaid Cymru debate on post-16 education in the Senedd, said: “Cutting further and higher education not only flies in the face of common sense, but contradicts what we know we have to do to build a better future, which is to invest in education now and in the future.”
He pointed out that college principals and vice chancellors were well rewarded.
“At this time, with the level of pressures that we face in terms of public spending, people really don’t understand how amounts such as £145,000, £180,000 or £271,000 a year can be paid to these public servants. How can we justify it? And yet other people in the colleges are facing the sack.”
Mr Whittle said: “We’ve heard that further education plays a key role in delivering many of the Welsh Labour Government’s policy objectives—how ironic is that—by providing second chances to people in low-paid, insecure employment or no employment at all.
“These cuts discriminate against lower-skilled members of the workforce and the unemployed who are striving to improve their employment prospects. The unions point out that further education is a route out of poverty, and this route is being cut off.
“An e-mail from a principal in the south-east Wales region said: ‘We are being forced to reduce apprenticeships just when they are, at long last, beginning to be seen as a high-quality route for able students to progress into high-skilled employment.’
“We want to use further education not only to give the best shot to someone starting in life but also to offer hope for someone wanting change later on. Use further education colleges to be the centre for social change and improvement. The long-term change for our economy can start in education, as well as in small businesses.
“We value the importance of the FE sector, and we see it as a crucial part of tackling the long-term and the short-term problems of generational poverty and worklessness.”
Labour’s Caerphilly AM Jeff Cuthbert also spoke at the debate and said that despite the cuts, good education work could still be done.
He said: “I would urge the Welsh Government to begin a clear assessment of how well schools and further education colleges are working together so that we can have a clear idea of where we’re at at the moment and what specific improvements are needed.
“Deputy Llywydd, we all know the financial pressures that further education colleges and local authorities are under when it comes to the provision of adult learning courses in particular, and I’m sure that many of you, like me, have been contacted by constituents with their concerns.
“Our hands, as has been mentioned many times, are currently tied by cuts from the Tory-led UK Government—something that I look forward to seeing changing after May 7.
“The Welsh Government is right to focus on priority areas and helping those who are most vulnerable to boost their employability during these tough times, and, in an increasingly competitive labour market, we have to make sure that our workforce has the right skills for the future.”
Julie James, Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology, said there were no good choices in light of the cuts imposed by the UK Government.
She said: “It’s very clear from your motion and from the contributions of all members that you all feel as passionately as I do about the impact funding cuts are having on the further education sector in Wales. I can assure you that I also feel the impact of them.
“I want to emphasise again, there have been no good choices here. These cuts are as a direct result of the cuts imposed on us by the coalition government in Westminster, propped up by the Liberal Democrats – one of the most heartless Tory governments that I hope we will ever see; please God, if such a being exists, that they don’t get in again.
“The Welsh Government’s budget is around 8% lower in real terms than it was as a result of these cuts. As a result, we obviously have one of the most challenging budget settlements we’ve ever had and, again, I hope we ever will see. These decisions are very difficult indeed. They are not ones that we want to make, but we have done the very best to protect those priority areas that we felt needed protection.”
I’ve got an idea! Let’s make all FE courses that can actualy turn a future profit for this country free and then double the fees for sociology and interpretive dance therapy. Thus we will be actualy investing in our future rather than occupying the time of the terminally useless.
I’ve got an idea! Let’s make all FE courses that can actualy turn a future profit for this country free and then double the fees for sociology and interpretive dance therapy. Thus we will be actualy investing in our future rather than occupying the time of the terminally useless.
Deputy Llywydd and Julie James roll out the same pathetic lame excuse blaming Westminster for the shortcomings of the Welsh government, strange how there is always plenty of money for massive pay rises, plenty of money to purchase an airport and subsidise a bus service for that airport, and where are the millions given to the Welsh Assembly to freeze council tax. Wales needs change, but sadly on Thursday the sheep will disengage their thinking matter and vote for more of the same.
Deputy Llywydd and Julie James roll out the same pathetic lame excuse blaming Westminster for the shortcomings of the Welsh government, strange how there is always plenty of money for massive pay rises, plenty of money to purchase an airport and subsidise a bus service for that airport, and where are the millions given to the Welsh Assembly to freeze council tax. Wales needs change, but sadly on Thursday the sheep will disengage their thinking matter and vote for more of the same.