Teaching union calls for halt on merger plans

The EIS expressed concern that a merger of the city's Commerce, Metropolitan and Nautical colleges would have fewer student places than now.

And in a letter to education secretary Michael Russell the union's general secretary, Ronnie Smith, also asked why Stow College, which could now face a funding cut, was not included in the merger.

Mr Smith said: "It is clear that this proposed merger has not been thought through sufficiently, and that a great deal of clarification is needed before these proposals can proceed.

"The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Mike Russell, should withhold approval of the proposed merger until all the outstanding issues are addressed.

"It would be unwise to push ahead with the current merger proposals before all the issues are addressed and all the alternatives are considered fully."

Stow College in Glasgow was due to be part of the merger originally but pulled out. The new institution, expected to be named City of Glasgow College, is due to open in 2014 over two sites in the city.

A Scottish Government spokesman said Mr Russell had not yet been formally approached to approve the merger.

He said: "Colleges are governed by autonomous boards of management and ministers no longer have any power of direction over colleges."

The Scottish Funding Council, however, a quasi-governmental organisation which is responsible for financing the merger, is under the direction of Mr Russell.