Labour hits out at cuts to funding for Scots colleges

SCOTTISH Labour has branded a government decision to cut teaching grants “reckless” after a survey revealed more than 10,000 Scots are languishing on
 college waiting lists.

Party education spokesman Hugh Henry condemned the SNP decision to cut college teaching grants by ten per cent a year for the next two years.

He said: “The SNP’s decision to target our colleges for cuts has slammed the door shut on at least 10,000 Scots. With nearly 100,000 young people unemployed and many older people being forced to re-train, we need to see serious investment in our colleges to meet the growing demand. Instead, Education Secretary Mike Russell has been completely reckless in cutting college funding by 20 per cent over the next four years.

“It’s not just a shocking way to treat the young people desperate to learn new skills to get into a tough jobs market, it’s economic vandalism of Scotland’s future.”

The government said overall college funding had risen.