Further Education
I taught in
a Further Education College for over 25
years
Firstly as
part of Mid Glamorgan County Council at Pontypridd College, then Pontypridd
College, then Coleg Morgannwg and the college is now called Coleg Cymynoed
I didn’t
change my college
Just the
result of the changes that took place
I also spent
10 years as a governor of Swansea College
Further
Education is a microcosm of what has happened to public services over the last
30 years
Firstly
having been organised and structured since its inception by the County Councils
of Wales it was decided that each college should be incorporated, run by local
business people.
Terms and
conditions deteriorated
The “Silver
book” terms were “negotiated” away
New staff
were employed on the new flexible contracts
Student
contact hours were cut
Class sizes
increased
All in the
name of efficiency
It moved
from educating to completing the syllabus
Budgets were
cut and are still being cut
Jobs have
been lost
The
resolution
Notes
the importance of further education institutions to the provision of post-16
education;.
Notes the importance of providing adult
learning opportunities for adults wanting to acquire new skills
Both
of which I fully agree with
Reviewing
Education questions and opposition debates Further Education comes a very poor
third after Schools and Higher Education
It
has always been the “Cinderella” service in terms of Education
It
has suffered since it was removed from Local Authority control
It
has like many other areas suffered from merger mania
So
we have a college covering Neath Port Talbot and Powys
I
am not sure who believes that Montgomeryshire and Port Talbot have a community
of interest
The
college where I used to work covers Aberdare, Pontypridd, Rhondda and
Caerphilly
Senior
staff especially Principals have had very large salary rises
From
below that of Assistant Director of Education
To
in many cases above that of Directors of Education
They
have benefitted by the ever increasing average salary model
Should
Further Education be better funded
Instead
of what
Where
we have a system
Agreed
by almost everyone here that Health must have a substantial year on year
increase
And
an in year payment
To
be spent almost exclusively on Secondary care
Then
the inevitable consequence is a reduction in almost all other areas of the
Assembly expenditure
Glad
to see further education being discussed today
I
believe it is important
Giving
many a second chance
I
hope others are also convinced
