Youth jail education provider set to wield axe
Neil Puffett
Monday, March 1, 2010
Young offender institutions (YOIs) are set to lose scores of teaching staff and face industrial action just months after a deal was struck with a private provider to deliver education services in jails.
Manchester College, which secured a Learning and Skills Council contractto teach at young offender institutions, secure training centres andprisons in August 2009, is to cut 250 jobs - around seven per cent ofits 3,500-strong prison teaching workforce - across five Englishregions.
A spokeswoman for the college declined to say how many staff in theyouth secure estate could go as cuts are currently subject toconsultation, but it is understood the number could be substantial.
A statement from Manchester College said there would be no compromise onthe quality of education but did not give further details on how thiscould be ensured.
Christiane Ohsan, national officer for the University and CollegesUnion, said: "It is difficult to say at this stage how the service willbe affected but we know that the staff are really angry because of theway they have been treated," he said. "The staff are thoroughlydemoralised and we might have to consider industrial action."
Redundancies are expected to begin in May.
Last month, CYP Now revealed that education budgets at some YOIs havebeen cut as part of a drive to achieve parity across the youth secureestate.
