Calls for Scottish Government action over exam 'fiasco'

Many further education students – including adult returners who are pursuing valuable credentials while balancing family and work obligations – have now wrapped up their academic term with no official results.

Last week’s negotiations between the college employers and EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) failed to produce a new pay offer, which means the union’s industrial action will continue.

Among the actions short of strike employed by EIS-FELA, lecturers are marking their students’ work but refusing to enter results into college systems.

Sher Khalid-Ali, a student at New College Lanarkshire, is part of a group called Student Action. She supports the lecturers in their fight but said that it has been “genuinely painful” for students.

“Leaving college on Friday without our results was devastating. We are adult returners to education who haven’t had it easy and the least we expected was to be able to celebrate our achievement at the end of the year.”

With students already leaving college without official results, students, employers and the union are all asking for the Scottish Government to step in to avoid a possible results “fiasco”.

On Monday, a government spokesman said that the government is making no promises for funding above the "nearly £2 billion" already offered and that negotiations are not up to the government to resolve. 

Government remains aloof, but for how long?

But unions and employers worry that without additional government funding, pay negotiations may remain at a standstill. Gavin Donoghue, Director of College Employers Scotland (CES), told The Herald that employers have tabled the best offer that they can afford.

“The employers’ full and final offer is for a pay rise of £2000 in 2022/23 and a further £1500 in 2023/24.”

Lecturers at lower pay grades could earn an increase of around 10 per cent. Although Mr Donoghue was disappointed that EIS-FELA is refusing the pay offer, he said there is still room for progress.

“Colleges are financially struggling due to cuts of nearly £52 million in the current academic year, flat cash budgets going forward and the recent withdrawal of a £26m fund for 2023/24.

“CES has consistently advocated for additional funding from government since October last year, and we would reiterate our commitment to work with the EIS-FELA on speaking to government on increased college funding.

“Existing financial challenges mean colleges cannot afford to go beyond the pay offers now on the table.”

In fact, Mr Donoghue said that even the current offer could require “painful decisions” regarding jobs and course offerings.

The Scottish Government has until now steered clear of the pay negotiations, leaving it to unions and employers to resolve their dispute.

But Stuart Brown, EIS national officer for further education, said that the time for neutrality has passed.

“Time is running out to avoid a resulting fiasco that both college employers and the Scottish Government have been warned of for months.

“The time for definitive action, on their part, is now.”

Mr Brown took heart from employers’ willingness to cooperate.

“Members will remember that the EIS-FELA recently wrote to College Employers Scotland and all 26 college principals regarding our call for emergency funding for the FE sector and asked them to join with us in this call.

“It is encouraging that the employers' side have finally responded positively to our request for joint work to secure an emergency funding package from the Scottish Government.”

Unresolved dispute makes for uncertain futures

Meanwhile, industrial action will go on across the country.

City of Glasgow College lecturers are gearing up for another week on the picket line. The College’s EIS-FELA branch will strike Tuesday – Friday this week, protesting planned redundancies at the college in addition to the national pay dispute.

We're heading into Week 3 of the City of Glasgow College strike even more determined!

Here's the plan for the week - come and show your support!#GlasgowCollegeStrike pic.twitter.com/AVuXzuMZ6y

— EIS-FELA CoGC (@CogcEis) June 11, 2023

Lee Martin, a student at Glasgow College, understands why lecturers are striking and stands with them. But that doesn’t make he or his classmates immune to the fallout.

“It has affected me through not knowing what results I have and has given me a lack of motivation over the last few weeks of my course. 

“It has also made futures uncertain, but that isn't the lecturers' fault. The City of Glasgow College management and government need to sort this out for the sake of our futures. 

“Students need to know that we will be able to move on to where we're going and that our education will be protected.”

The union has crafted a plan which they say could save 100 jobs at Glasgow College through a managerial restructure, along with a £2.7 million cut to the college’s corporate development fund.

The plan will be put to college leadership this week.

Is this week already too late?

But any negotiations or possible resolution in the coming days will already be after the date many students ended their college terms.

Student Action will support Glasgow College lecturers striking this week. The platform will give another opportunity to highlight the time pressures on students, staff and colleges. For students such as Sher Khalid-Ali, college is a stepping stone to university, and bridges a gap between uncertainty and a possibly bright future.

But instead, students are frustrated and uncertain once again.

“The effects of [industrial action] have been severe for the students who have had to suffer leaving education without our results,” Sher said.

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“They have also been severe for our lecturers who have taught us throughout the year and not been able to give us results at the end.

“We have pleaded with The Scottish Government and College Employers Scotland to engage with students about industrial action and we have been ignored or palmed off with copy-and-paste replies.

“It’s been genuinely painful for both ourselves and the lecturers who have got us to this point and once again, we implore the government to act.”

Stepping stones crumbling underfoot

Fellow New College Lanarkshire student Keri-Anne McGhee said that the dispute has had a “seriously negative impact” on students.

Without results being added to the system, she said it means her classmates’ “hard work currently holds no official value”.

Kimberley Rose, also with Student Action, called further education an “essential stepping stone for individuals trying to move out of poverty”.

“The lecturers in colleges are the ones who deliver life-changing education for many students, young and adult returners. They give us all the support and tools to progress and grow into hardworking and determined students.

“There has been no intervention from the Scottish government and the silence in response to (industrial action) on the government’s behalf possibly demonstrates how little they must care for the further education sector.”

What can the Government do?

If the Scottish Government ever decides to wade into the negotiations, it would mark a clear shift in policy.

Since industrial action officially kicked off in May, the government has maintained that it is “not directly involved in the national collective bargaining process”.

In response to Student Action’s claims that it is devaluing further education – and calls from CES and EIS-FELA to support a funding solution – a Scottish Government spokesman delivered a similar line on Monday. 

Regarding calls for more cash, he said that the government already funds colleges and universities to the tune of nearly £2 billion through the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) "despite facing the most challenging financial environment since devolution".

He added: "We have also increased college estate funding in 2023-24, while SFC have introduced new flexibilities for Scotland’s colleges."    
The spokesman said that the government recognises the impact of the industrial action, but reiterated that it is up to unions and employers to make a deal.

"We recognise that students are being adversely affected by this industrial action and we urge all involved to quickly resolve this dispute so that students get the due reward for all their hard work."