Education

National news

Time to stop homophobic bullying

(04/07/08) Unions call for LGBT equality education in schools

Final pay offer for further education workers

(23/06/08) Association of Colleges (AoC) makes an improved pay offer of 3.2%, or £550 - whichever is higher - from 1 October 2008.

Members speak up for public services

(09/06/08) MPs hear call for pay justice
News list >

Campaigns

UNISON is the largest trade union for staff in schools and local authority education departments.

Our members include teaching assistants, nursery staff, administrators, secretaries, policy officers, technicians, cleaners, caretakers, school meals workers - in fact anyone working in schools or supporting education.

Campaigns

Campaign against Further Education funding cuts continues

(28/09/07) UNISON, as part of its campaign against funding cuts in further education, has just published a new report at the start of the academic year to highlight the contraction of adult education place and the implications for colleges in England. 

College Cuts Increase Inequality and Decrease the Quality of Provision

(12/02/07)There are funding pressures and issues of quality. That’s not an excuse to cut provision either to access or quality.Disability rights campaigners have expressed concern following an internal Department for Education & Skills survey which showed that 15% of college places for people with learning disabilities were cut in 2006.

Lobby of Parliament Against Cuts - 28 February 2007

(13/02/07)We are working with UCU on the ESOL campaign but also to highlight the damaging extent of the cuts to the wider equality agenda. The lobby takes place on Wednesday 28 February 2007 in Committee Room 14 at 11am

and details can be downloaded from the following link. http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/7/s/ucu_esollobbyguide_1.pdf

Funding Crisis in Adult Education Campaign Details

(09/02/07)
We have updated the campaign pack against the funding cuts. These which contains a toolkit, the bulletins, checklist and fax back can be downloaded from the links below. It is important that you keep us informed asap about the cuts that are taking place. We are looking at taking legal action against these cuts. Your information is vital in terms of the lobbying to central government and the indentification of legal cases. For details contact Denise Bertuchi on 0207 551 1323 education@unison.co.uk

Campaign Against Cuts To Adult Education and ESOL

(30/01/2007)Cuts to adult education continue to reveal alarming trends; course closures, fee increases for students and redundancies, cuts to nursery provision, restructuring and uncertainty for staff. The cuts to adult education have proved to be more than three times as high as official predictions made last year

Impact on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

(30/01/2007) UNISON is greatly concerned about the impact of ESOL cuts on the wider skills agenda. This was featured in FE Focus 19 January. It will impact on migrant workers in the public sector; in the health service, social care and school catering who will lose the right to free English classes. In the NHS in London out of 600 people identified with training needs under the Agenda for Change skills audit 400 had ESOL requirements. The changes to the funding means that for many people with ESOL needs, course costs will shift from the public purse to the individual, unless employers make a contribution.

UNISON Hosts Fringe Meeting on Further Education

(29/09/06)UNISON hosted a fringe meeting in Manchester at the Labour Party Conference on 27 September 2006.

At the fringe the Further and Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell denied that the Government were 'robbing' the adult education sector to pay for youth training.The prioritisation of employment-related training was 'the best anti-poverty strategy' available in the UK, he said.

Parliamentary Digest

(30/6/06) Links below of the the House of Commons debate on further education and Adult Learning

Campaign Against Adult Education Cuts

(27/06/2006) News Digest - below is a digest of newspaper articles on the cuts taking place in Further Education. This maybe of help to you when you approach your local MP/Councillor in the campaign.

Link to a document on this siteNews Digest/News Digest1

Link to a document on this siteNews Digest/News Digest2

Link to a document on this siteNews Digest/News Digest3

Link to a document on this siteNews Digest/News Digest4

Further Education Threat to Adult Education

(15/05/2006) The Big Conversation Now is a crucial time for the future of adult learning. One million adult learning places are threatened over the next two years and there's already been a drop of 23% of people over 60 learning. However, two in three of the jobs of the next decade will need to be filled by adults, including migrants, older people and women returners - because there will simply not be enough young people to fill their parents' shoes when finally we retire. More and more of tomorrow's jobs will require higher-level know-how. Adult learning is not an option - it's an economic necessity. Learning also contributes to community wellbeing, cultural creativity and social solidarity - in ways that can be quantified.

< Back | More >

CONTACT DETAILS
• For urgent help and advice at work to go Help at Work.
• UNISON's education workforce unit is managed by Christina McAnea.
UNISON Education workforce
1 Mabledon Place
London WC1H 9AJ
Email: education@unison.co.uk

Pay matters

A fair deal for public service workers

Documents: further education

AoC indicative 2008-09 spine based on final pay recommendation

The Association of Colleges indicative pay scales showing the proposed salary increases from 1 October 2008. The shaded area shows the points with the additional uplift to equal a £550 rise.
Link to a PDF document on this siteAoC indicative 2008-09 spine based on final pay recommendation

UNISON's response to the DIUS consultation on informal adult learning

UNISON believe that workplace learning and the support of trade unions can make that vital difference to many people. We are calling for an entitlement to time off work for learning up to Level 2 and a new system of individual learning accounts.
Link to a PDF document on this siteAcrobat PDF (438582 bytes)

Further Education Pay - Power Point Presentation [PPT]

This presentation sets out the full details of the 2008/09 FE pay claim for England. It should be used to explain the claim to members and non members.
Link to a PowerPoint document on this siteFurther Education Pay [PPT]

Further education recruitment leaflet

There's strength in numbers. Download a leaflet and help us sign up new members. Batches can be ordered through the online catalogue. Stock number 2659
Link to a PDF document on this siteFurther education recruitment leaflet

Further Education newsletter
You will receive occasional messages containing news, events. You can leave the list at any time.

Subscribe


Unsubscribe