The Tories' new white paper on post-school education is described by the Socialist Lecturers' Alliance (SLA) as being 'launched on the back of the Poll Tax and conceived on the back of a postage stamp'. It will, they say, 'sound the death knell of general education for tens of thousands of over sixteens'.
Iwo years ago the Nationa Association of Teachers in Fur ther and Higher Education (NATFHE) predicted 14,000 job losses in further and higher education. Along with course closures, the redundancies are now coming thick and fast.
First to go are part-time jobs. These are usually associated with adult education, special needs provisions, and traditional 'night classes'. None of - 021 554 0056 (eve.)
June 22, 1991 No. 4 philosophy of post-school education. In future, courses will only be funded if there is a job at the end. The response of the NATHFE executive? A press statement from the General Secretary beginning with a cautious wel come to the proposals! It then aid out the NEC's strategy of amending the white paper by parliamentary lobbying. This response is 'new realist' in the exame. The Labour Party's attitudeis an equal betrayal. If elected, they will not proceed with the legislation if it fails to reach the statute books in the next parliament. But, if it does become law, they will not repeal it! Delegates to NATFHE's recent conference were rightly angry at this pathetic charade. Two emergency motions from the floor, condemning the 8 Milk Street, Birmingham, B5 5TS. Tel: Paul - 021 444 3552 (eve.) or Barry a national campaign of action to defeat the plans, were carried with an overwhelming majority.
By winning the political debate, the SLA placed the fight against redundancies firmly in the context the new proposals. Union branches in Sheffield and London have shown that strike action is the key tactic in fighting redundancies.
The SLA established itself at the conference as the main left opposition in the union. It immediately initiated a campaign organisation to coordinate action in the colleges. This has now evolved into the Save Adult and Further Education (SAFE) Campaign. National actions are being planned around the first reading of the bill in parliament - rumoured to be around January.
The left in NATHE were also instrumental in making other gains at conference. The dustrial action on à majority vote of members in branches (as opposed to a majority of the constituency). Reserved places on the National Council were won for black members. The left also won the debates over strategy for forming a single teaching union and over fighting redundancies.
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