Scotland’s five rectors set to meet MSP over teacher funding issues

Fiona Hyslop MSP, cabinet secretary for education and lifelong learning, has finally agreed to meet with the rectors of Scotland’s universities to address the issue of improving funding for higher education teachers.

The planned meeting will involve the five rectors from the ancient universities in Scotland, including Charles Kennedy for Glasgow, Stephen Robertson for Aberdeen, Kevin Dunion for St Andrews, Craig Murray for Dundee and Mark Ballard for Edinburgh.

Speaking to The Journal, the Green MSP Mark Ballard said: “I am delighted to have been granted this opportunity to meet with Fiona Hyslop along with the other four rectors.

“To be blunt, if Scotland is to have the universities it wants and needs, more funding will be required both for student support and to pay for teaching and research.”

He also highlighted the importance of the meeting, arguing that the key to success in this area is not necessarily to throw more money at the situation but to reallocate the funding resources in a more effective manner: “As a group, we are united in our goal to improve the effectiveness of higher education in Scotland.”

Asked why the student union presidents themselves have not been granted an audience with Ms Hyslop—despite EUSA President Adam Ramsey making better funding for teachers one of his main campaigns this academic year—Mr Ballard acknowledged this as an issue, but emphasised that the rectors themselves also have a democratic mandate: “We are in a unique position as we are elected to represent the wider public interest in Scotland's Universities. This meeting will compliment similar representations made by students associations, the NUS and University Principals.”

However, he also accepted that “the more groups that apply pressure for change on Fiona Hyslop, then the more likely we are to make a difference for the benefit of staff and students alike.”

Ms Hyslop was approached regarding her unwillingness to meet the union's elected representative, but declined to comment. According to a spokesperson, Ms Hyslop is currently only "dealing with matters for frontline journalists."

Adam Ramsey pledged his full support for the rectors' campaign: “I am delighted that Scotland’s rectors have agreed to join our campaign for more funding for teaching. They are powerful allies who will help us win for students.”

In the last academic year the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) spent a collective £275.3 million on teaching for the five ancient universities alone. Once funding for reseach is included, this figure reaches £449.7 million. However, the money is unevenly distributed with Edinburgh and Glasgow sharing 62 per cent of the budget and St Andrews only receiving eight per cent of the total amount.

The official date for the meeting is, as yet, undecided, and no agenda has been so far released.