Perth and Kinross Council leader to seek meeting with UHI principal over Perth college cuts

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Perth and Kinross Council's leader will seek to meet with University of Highlands and Islands principal Vicki Nairn regarding the loss of up to 50 jobs at UHI Perth.The move was unanimously agreed by all 40 Perth and Kinross councillors at a meeting on Wednesday, June 28.Tabling the motion for approval Conservative group leader John Duff called the potential job losses and course cuts "disastrous" for UHI Perth, the City of Perth and its people.The Highland Perthshire councillor's original motion called for SNP council leader Grant Laing and PKC's chief executive to meet with the cabinet secretary for Education and Skills "to call for additional funding for UHI Perth to prevent these job losses and course cuts".However there was a lengthy debate and recess over how competent this was.Following an earlier agreement that it was "not right and proper" for the chief executive to be involved in political meetings this request was removed from the motion.The SNP group also argued the Minister for Higher and Further Education Graeme Dey would be more appropriate than the cabinet secretary for education.

And the SNP's deputy leader also suggested the meeting should be with the UHI principal in any case.Cllr Eric Drysdale said: "It is UHI that decides the level of funding that it allocates to Perth UHI."Tabling the motion Cllr Duff said: "Along with Bailie Ahern, I recently met with the Principal of the University of the Highlands and Islands Perth to hear about the financial challenges which the university is experiencing.

UHI Perth, in common with all of the sector, has received a flat cash settlement from the Scottish Government for 2023/24 and is also having to make a 10 per cent cut to their credit targets."The flat cash