26 April 2002
The university and college lecturers' union Natfhe has rejected a 1.5% pay offer from the employers' body, the Association of Colleges, and is threatening industrial action.
On April 23, the two sides presented a united front to ministers and other MPs in an unprecedented joint lobby at the House Of Commons.
The National Union of Students and unions representing further education support staff also joined the lobby, which called for an extra £2.5bn for FE to raise standards and participation by 2006.
According to the AoC, there is a £1,000-per-year gap between the sum schools with sixth forms receive for educating a student taking three A-levels and that received by colleges. Funding on an equal basis would cost an estimated £320m a year by 2005/06.
Eighty-six colleges have been categorised as 'financially weak' by the Learning and Skills Council, and many more are thought to be trading at a loss. 'We are saying for the first time that colleges are broke,' said an AoC spokeswoman.
AoC chief executive David Gibson said the government must ensure that extra money given to education in the Spending Review is fairly distributed. 'We should be funded on the same terms as schools,' he said.
PFapr2002
