£45m cut in further education funding

COLLEGES will see their teaching budgets cuts by up to 8.5 per cent under funding arrangements for the next academic year, it has been confirmed.

Announcing its funding for 2012-13, the Scottish Funding Council said the overall budget would be £500 million, down from £544.7m.

No college will see its individual teaching budget cut by more than 8.5 per cent, with student numbers being maintained, the SFC said. Earlier this week, education secretary Mike Russell outlined plans to re-organise the country’s 42 further education colleges around 12 regional boards.

A £15m fund has been set up for voluntary redundancies.