300 education jobs to go as recession hits Scottish universities

With nearly 300 jobs already at risk or being axed in Scotland, the union further warned that the figures may be just the tip of the iceberg and that cuts to the Scottish Government budget risk undermining Scotland's economic recovery.  The union further warned that the figures may just be the tip of the iceberg as many institutions are failing to consult with the union adequately. The figures are part of a report from UCU into the damage being done to the UK's ability to deliver post-16 education through the recession.
 
In total across the UK 5,891 jobs are at risk or being cut with 4,593 in higher education and 1,298 in further education. In Scotland 280 jobs will be lost in universities particularly at Stirling and Strathclyde Universities. Over 5,000 students will be affected with losses hitting the full range of institutions.
 
UCU Scotland President, Lesley McIntosh, said: 'We have been warning for months of the potential damage that unnecessary and swingeing cuts would do to post-16 education. These figures offer a worrying snapshot of what is happening in Scotland's universities and even more worrying is the fact that many institutions have not set out their financial plans as yet.
 
'In difficult economic times we need to be doing everything we can to help education and the countless potential students who see education as a vital lifeline to improve their skills and opportunities of finding work. The Scottish government may has said that higher education is a funding priority but that extra funding has not materialised resulting in funding cuts. The Scottish Government must make Higher Education a priority in the next spending round if we are to maintain our world class reputation.'
 
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'Universities and colleges need to understand that our members will not sit idly by while their jobs or those of colleagues are axed. All institutions that are considering slashing jobs need to make a clear, transparent case for the losses and start speaking to us immediately.'
 
The full report confirmed that the cuts are having an impact throughout the UK and at all types of institutions and can be found at: 

Key figures:

• Total jobs = 5,891
• Further education = 1,298
• Higher education = 4,593
• Jobs at risk in London = 2,165
• London further education = 132
• London higher education = 2,033
• 106,038 students affected - based on student:staff ratio of 18:1 (conservative estimate as SSR higher in further education)