Education minister comes in for heavy heckling

Louise Nousratpour in Blackpool
Monday May 29, 2006
The Morning Star

NATFHE members served Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell a heavy dose of heckling and hissing at the weekend as he struggled to defend the government's unpopular education plans.

In a tedious speech at the union's conference on Saturday, Mr Rammell tried hard to smooth-talk delegates, who made no attempt to hide their frustration with the government's failure to address their concerns over pay and poor funding.

"You are crucial to this country's core educational mission. Don't think it is not recognised," he offered, immediately provoking fierce heckling from delegates, who cried: "Pay us a decent wage then."

But, instead of acknowleding their legitimate pay claim, the minister implied that the striking lecturers had no regard for their students by taking industrial action.

Enraged Southern region delegate Dave Fysh shouted across the floor: "You're a disgrace for blaming us while the employers are the ones refusing to make a serious offer."

Mr Rammell shamelessly declared that the university bosses' initial pay offer of 12.6 per cent over three years was "very substantial," which prompted more heckling and slow clapping.

The minister went on to admit that adult education was the "Cinderella" of the education sector and pledged to tackle low pay through the discredited Forster report and the subsequent white paper.

Mr Rammell persisted that the government had a "proud record" of investment in the sector, but he suggested that private funding was necessary to meet current needs.

His comments were again drowned by loud hissing from delegates, who shouted: "Shame on you for promoting privatisation in education."

As the minister was leaving, conference broke into a spontaneous chanting: "We know it's there - where's our share?"