Staffing shortage threat to reform of colleges

Staff shortages in Britain's colleges are twice as bad as in schools, claims a report out tomorrow.

A survey by the Association of Colleges says there are now 3,000 vacancies in further education colleges – 2.4 per cent of the total workforce and a rise of 25 per cent compared with last year. The school vacancy rate is 1.2 per cent.

Colleges struggle to recruit for courses in engineering, construction and basic skills. The Government is ashamed of the UK's record on adult literacy and numeracy and has vowed to reduce the number of adults who cannot read, write or add up from the present level of seven million.

A study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development shows illiteracy in the UK is higher than any other Western nation – except Poland. Colleges say a shortage of lecturers will make it more difficult for ministers to achieve their targets. The shortage of staff able to teach in vocational areas will also hamper government attempts to persuade 14 and 15-year-olds into colleges. That is one of the main aims of the Government's Green Paper on reforming education for 14 to 19-year-olds.

College employers and lecturers' groups say the shortages are due to lecturers earning less than teachers.

The starting salary for a school teacher is £17,595 rising to £32,217 for those who stay in the classroom. In further education, the salary scale is £14,581 to £26,423. The study revealed an increase in vacancies among support and administration staff with 5,000 posts unfilled – a 44 per cent increase on last year.

Unions representing college employees are threatening strike action over pay. They have rejected a 2.3 per cent pay offer and plan to strike on November 5.

Paul Mackney, general secretary of the national Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education, predicts vacancy rates will worsen in the short term.