Things can only get worse for Scotland's colleges?

When it comes to Scotland’s colleges, it looks like things can only get ̶b̶e̶t̶t̶e̶r̶ worse.

Well, I think it’s safe to say that our special series on The State of Scotland’s Colleges was a big hit. Over the course of last week, we ran dozens of stories looking at key issues – things like massive budget shortfalls, the impact of a years-long pay dispute, the overall organisation of the college system, the approach to education provision across the highlands and islands, and the challenges for the future of the sector.

And of course, we highlighted some of the absolutely amazing work going on in colleges every day.

Read more:

The State of Scotland's Colleges: Find all the articles in the series here

I loved writing about the impact of ESOL classes and targeted support in Glasgow, and telling the story of Rachel McCaw, who – thanks to her experiences in college – is about to complete an undergraduate degree after leaving school with nothing at fifteen years old. I thought the data on gender in the sector – especially the male/female split of students across different age profiles – was fascinating, and really enjoyed pulling together our extensive deep-dive into data on finances, student numbers and course availability.

But if I had to choose a favourite piece, it would the story I wrote about my visit to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the only Gaelic-language further and higher education institution in Scotland (and, by definition, the whole world).

As many of you will know, I was a college lecturer for nearly a decade before joining The Herald and, on a personal level, would like to thank everyone who read, shared and supported our work. It meant a lot to me to be able to, I suppose, give something back to the further education sector.

But it’s getting harder and harder to avoid the conclusion that things can only get worse for colleges, lecturers, support staff, students, and communities.

Some people I had spoken to in the days since Humza Yousaf blew up his government had been hopeful that John Swinney taking over would change things: maybe a new FM would appoint a new colleges minister (one who isn’t regarded as ‘The Invisible Man’) and, in pursuit of a quick political win, find some money to allow a new pay offer and end strike action? It wouldn’t meet lecturers’ full demands, of course, but after all this, it might just be enough to get a deal over the line.

It all made sense, but it was always being said more in hope than expectation. In the end, Swinney re-appointed Graeme Dey – the minister who refuses to answer questions – and in doing so sent a pretty clear message: nothing changes.

Read more:

Lessons to Learn | Who was missing from our colleges special? The further education minister...

Twice this week, our work on colleges has been raised in parliament during debates about the state of the sector. The first was led by Labour’s Richard Leonard, while the second came about as a result of the Scottish Conservatives’ Liam Kerr. On both occasions, MSPs from across the chamber pleaded with the government to properly support the FE sector but, it seems, to no avail. No matter what, the SNP’s prepared lines don’t seem to change.

But the situation is now verging on the absurd.

On the one hand, Graeme Dey says that employers and unions have to get round the table to agree a deal; on the other, he has accepted (on the record, in parliament) that there is a gap between the funding colleges have received from government and what they actually need.

This Kafkaesque approach is, surely, untenable. Colleges are public sector organisations that are utterly critical to Scotland. Would an SNP government (with Green support or otherwise) really allow some of them to fail, given the devastating impact this would have on individuals, vulnerable groups, communities, and the wider country?

I suppose, at this stage, we can only hope that the answer is no.

And things aren’t looking much brighter for schools in Glasgow...

Yesterday I went to Govan to report on a protest organised by the Glasgow City Parents Group, and supported by trade unions such as the EIS and GMB.

Those in attendance were there to oppose the council’s plans to cut up to 450 teaching posts over the next three years, as well as threats to posts supporting the MCR Pathways and Developing the Young Workforce programmes. As I revealed in March, this process has actually already started (despite the promises of politicians) with a change to school staffing formulas for the 2024-25 academic year.

The short version is that, next year, primary schools all over the city will see their staffing levels reduced – in the worst cases, headteachers will left as the only person who is not in class for most or all of the time. The council says that this applies to “less than a third” of schools but Glasgow has around 140 primaries, meaning that dozens of them, and a huge number of pupils, will be impacted by changes that teachers keep telling me pose huge safety risks.

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In recent years, there was always a sense that these terrible budget choices would, in the end, be avoided – that some cash would be found at the last minute to save jobs or agree pay rises or whatever was required.

This year, nobody seems to think that is going to happen.

Indeed, in parliament earlier today, when pressed on teacher numbers, the new FM John Swinney said: “I have to live in the real world of the public finances available to me.”

Make of that what you will.