Learn these lessons from teachers over college funding crisis – Yorkshire Post letters

THE NASUWT has been warning for some time that much of the post-16 sector is in a parlous financial state because of Government cuts and a lack of scrutiny of how money is spent (The Yorkshire Post, May 13).

Cuts have been made to per- student funding and teachers’ pay, and the result has been a reduction in students’ learning hours since 2012.

In addition, the increasing costs and ongoing funding inequalities are reducing the learning opportunities for young people, narrowing the range of subjects and courses colleges are able to offer and are leading to the loss of life-changing opportunities for students.

This is economically short-sighted.

High quality post-16 provision is critical to ensuring young people have the skills to meet changing and global economic needs.

The current funding arrangements are inadequate. The NASUWT will continue to campaign for a substantial above-inflation pay increases for sixth form college teachers, for above-inflation increases in post-16 funding during the next Spending Review period, and for a funding regime which ensures that post-16 funding is used appropriately.