The majority of professionals in colleges want FE loans to be delayed or scrapped, a survey has revealed. Nearly 70 per cent of respondents to a survey of Lsect members believe the government should prolong or abandon the loan scheme over fears of the impact on learners and providers.

“The government has got itself in enough trouble by not listening to the experts in recent months,” said Sally Hunt, General Secretary of the University and College Union (UCU). “It now needs to listen to the collective voices from across further education that make it clear that the sector is simply not prepared for, and does not want, FE loans.”

The survey, which was designed with the Association of Colleges (AoC), National Union of Students (NUS), UCU and Unison, also asked respondents to scale how they thought people were aware of the scheme. 55 per cent felt that the sector was not prepared, while 89 of those surveyed believed the public was not aware of the scheme, FE Week reports.

“The survey shows that college staff have significant concerns about public awareness of the policy and how it will be communicated,” explained Julian Gravatt, Assistant Chief Executive of AoC. “It is clear that more information is needed about the finer detail of how this policy will operate to allow colleges to effectively prepare.”

The Government says it is “working closely with the sector” to make sure they are prepared for the introduction of the loans in the 2013/14 academic year.

“Introducing loans will mean that thousands of people can access learning at a time when grant funding is being prioritised on those who need it most,” explained a spokesperson for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

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Lecturers and teachers are more likely to work unpaid overtime than workers in any other profession, trade union figures suggest.

The data, released by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) shows that 55.6 per cent of education professionals work unpaid overtime, putting in an average of 9.6 hours extra per week, the THE reports.

“Today’s figures confirm that our teachers and lecturers continue to go above and beyond the call of duty for their pupils and students,” Sally Hunt, General Secretary of the University and College Union (UCU) commented. “The Government cannot keep expecting more for less from such dedicated people, particularly when their reward is real terms pay cuts and attacks on their pensions.”

Across those working groups surveyed by the TUC, 21 per cent of workers do unpaid overtime and work an additional 7.2 hours a week on average.

A Spokesman for the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) said that the figures mask a more complex picture: “Academic staff in higher education institutions are valued and committed professionals with contracts that reflect this. Their roles require flexible and largely unsupervised working over a year with variable teaching intensity levels and there is a high degree of choice in how these professionals organise their time. Institutions tell us that their academic professionals regard this personal flexibility as one of the most valued features of working in the sector.”

In November 2011, it was revealed that many lecturers who were members of the UCU and were working to contract over changes to their pensions, said their work-life balance had been restored as a result.

At the time, Sally Hunt commented: “People are saying that for the first time in years they’ve been able to have some kind of normal life. It’s clear it has become very normalised for people to work 50-plus hours in a week, doing evening and weekend work. We’ve got very committed staff who are struggling to fulfil their research commitments alongside admin and teaching, and that will only get worse with the pressures they’re having to deal with.”

Recourse knows from calls and emails to its Support Line that workload is a major cause of concern for tutors and lecturers. 96 per cent of lecturers, teachers and school leaders who responded to a Recourse and Teacher Support Network poll say their workload has had a negative effect on their health and wellbeing. Symptoms described included increased alcohol consumption, lack of sleep, relationship problems, overeating, under eating, stress, anxiety, exhaustion, low self-esteem and in some cases thoughts of suicide.

One respondent told Recourse: “A ‘healthy’ work-life balance is very difficult to achieve. When I should have time/energy for exercise, I have too many demands from the job to fit this in effectively. Taking time out for illness is problematic as the burden falls on colleagues. As such, there are times when I am in college, when I shouldn’t be. I only take a couple of days sick leave on average per year so constant tiredness results.”

Another member of staff working in FE commented: “I wake up at midnight most nights and often work through my college holidays. I feel like I have no support from management, even though I ask and have been victimised in the past for ‘not being able to cope’. The workload is ridiculous and I wouldn’t wish it upon anybody.”

If you would like to talk to someone to find out how best to manage your workload, call our Support Line on 0808 802 03 04.

Alternatively, visit these links for more information:

• Work-Life Wizard
• How working extra hours can impact you
• Work-life Balance – what is it and how do I achieve it?
• Assertiveness: your right to say no

by Victoria Bamber

Half of university funding will be paid for by students, as personal contributions rise to their highest level in over 100 years, a study by the University and College Union (UCU) has revealed.

The UCU has also discovered that annual Government funding on teaching and research will drop to below 15 per cent by 2013/14, from £6.6 billion in 2011/2012 to £3.7 billion, The Telegraph reports.

“This study shows how over the last 30 years higher education funding has shifted from the state to the student,” Sally Hunt, General Secretary of the UCU stated.

“This Government’s regressive university reforms will accelerate this process further and see annual public investment in teaching and research fall to its lowest proportion in over a century. You cannot maintain a world class university system in the 21st century by turning the clock back to the 1900s and before.”

From September this year, universities will be able to charge up to £9,000 in annual tuition fees, almost three times the current maximum. The UCU study claims the proportion of funding from students, through higher tuition fees, is expected to reach 47.2 per cent by 2013/2014, compared to the 1970s, when the share stood at six per cent.

A Spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills defended the Government’s decision: “Our reforms put university finances on to a long-term sustainable basis. Students will have more study choices and funding for universities will follow their decisions. We estimate that total funding for the sector could increase by around ten per cent over the spending review period.”

For the latest news on university funding and tuition fees, follow these links:

• University applications fall by 15 per cent
• Universities seek last-minute changes
• University fees ‘not worth £9,000′ claim students

by Victoria Bamber

University professors have spoken out against plans to expand the number of private universities, over concerns it may lead to higher dropout rates and lower academic standards.

In a letter to the Daily Telegraph, professors say that proposals sent out in the Higher Education White Paper will “condemn generations of students” to an experience similar to that in the US where many students fail to complete their degree and struggle to pay off loans.

Many academics have called for the Government to reassess the plans which will make it easier for private providers to enter universities, The Telegraph reports.

The letter, circulated by the University and College Union (UCU) and signed by 471 professors, describes the situation in the US, where only one-in-five students at for-profit universities complete a four-year degree, whilst a fifth default on loans within three years.

“People across the political spectrum care passionately about maintaining UK universities’ hard won international reputation and this letter from so many eminent professors shows that those responsible for building our strong academic reputation have grave doubts about the government’s proposals,” Sally Hunt, General Secretary of the UCU commented.

“The experience of for-profit universities in the US, which our Government seeks to emulate, has been a disaster for the taxpayer with public subsidies soaring while completion rates have fallen.”

Despite concerns from academics and the UCU, ministers say the new system will provide more choice for students and will include structured inspections to monitor standards of institutions accepting taxpayers’ money.

The Government have also stressed that students taking out loans will only repay a proportion of earnings above £21,000.

A Spokesperson for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said: “We want to see a diverse higher education sector, with built-in quality assurance, that focuses on a high-quality student experience. Under our reforms the Higher Education Funding Council for England will have a new duty to protect the interests of students.”

“Providers accessing student loans will also have to provide information about the employment outcomes of previous graduates.”

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by Victoria Bamber
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The number of UK born students applying to start university next year has fallen by 15 per cent, the university admissions service has revealed.  The latest statistics, published by Ucas, show 133,357 applicants have applied from within the UK, compared with 157,116 this time last year.

Many universities and trade unions say the drop in applicants is due to the rise in tuition fees, which will treble to a maximum of £9,000 per year in 2012, The Guardian reports.

“We believe putting financial barriers in front of young people who have been told their entire lives to aim for university is nothing more than a policy of penalising ambition,” Sally Hunt, General Secretary of the University and College Union (UCU) stated.

The number of mature students applying to university has also decreased, with applications from adults age 25-39 falling by 20 per cent and those over 40 by 25 per cent.

Les Ebdon, the Chair of Million+, which represents some of the new universities, commented on the issue: “Many mature students study later because they realise that they have missed out on the life-changing employment and learning opportunities that studying for a degree offers. No one should lose the chance to be what they might have been. Ministers need to up their game, and should launch a campaign in the New Year to ensure that older students understand the new loan system and the opportunities available.”

The proportions of applicants from Northern Ireland and Scotland have also decreased by 15.2 per cent and 12.7 per cent respectively; those from England and Wales have fallen by 10.2 per cent and 10.3 per cent.

Individual universities have not revealed how their applications compare with last year, although City University, in London, has said their numbers are down by 41.4 per cent on last year.

Both Ucas and the Russell Group have defended the fall in applicants for 2012.Wendy Piatt, Director General of the Russell Group said it is unfair to compare the number of applicants for next autumn’s courses with those for this year’s because the previous figures may have been artificially inflated by students applying before the near-trebling of fees came into effect.

Mary Curnock Cook, the Chief Executive of Ucas, said she expected “some depression of demand” because of a decline in the young population. She said it is “much too early to predict any effects from changes in tuition fees”.

For the latest education news, advice and ‘twips’, follow us on Twitter @RecourseCharity.

by Victoria Bamber