ATL

Talking FE

ATL's members in Further Education took centre stage today on the final day of debate in Bournemouth.

Conference called on the government and the Learning and Skills Council to provide adequate funding for FE colleges so that Skills for Life and Foundation Studies courses could be available for all who need them. Martin Gibbs (Avon) proposing the resolution argued that further funding was also needed so that staff teaching and supporting students in further education are not engaged on "pretend" contracts of employment, which enable hours reduced without redundancy payments, when funding is cut or re-allocated.

Martin told Conference: "The government's agenda for compulsory education and training for all students up to the age of 18 will undoubtedly see an increase in FE provision." Seconding the motion, Stella Jales (Avon) asked: "Why is it that when funding is cut or changed it's the vulnerable groups of society who suffer? Those people who are often unable to speak up for themselves or find their way through the bureaucracy, to access funding or fight for their course."

Highlighting to conference the fact that from next September the majority of ESOL learners would have to pay for their course, Stella said: "With ESOL, social inclusion cannot happen. How can you take an active role in a community when you cannot speak the language?

Noting the movement towards pay parity between school teachers and FE lecturers, Val Ross (Cambridge) went on to urge ATL's Executive Committee, to campaign for the replacement of QLS standards with a new nationally recognised qualification for all teaching professionals in the FE sector, including teaching assistants. Val said: "I am heartened, as an FE member, to have had previous FE specific resolutions supported so overwhelmingly."

However, she went on to point out that the call for parity of qualifications with teachers had been on the agenda at ATL's conferences before yet was still very much an issue. Niamh Sweeney (Cambridge) concurred: "More and more now, with the changing role of FE, school teachers and lecturers are teaching the same learners and learners whatever their age deserve highly qualified professionals teaching them. Learners in colleges need the best lecturers; they are not second class learners. Giving them less qualified lecturers devalues college education. Teaching staff in colleges need to be as highly qualified as their colleagues in schools."

Niamh concluded: "More and more we are being asked to carry out the same role to the same learners therefore we should all receive the same high level, quality training and level of qualification."

The motion was carried.