Scottish academy proposes job cuts

Picture courtesy of RSAMD

John Wallace, the academy's principal, has also warned that compulsory redundancies would be considered if the proposed scheme did not make the necessary savings. Given the average salary of teaching staff at the college, the announcement could lead to the loss of up to 20 lecturers.

Financial problems at the school first became apparent in 2006 following the signing of a new three-year pay deal for lecturers amounting to a 13.1 per cent increase over the period. Although initial reactions to the agreement were positive, the offer came at the 'limits of affordability'.

In late January, Wallace told the Herald that the proposed cuts are in fact the result of long-term under-funding at the hands of the Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

'We are not given the levels of funding required to pay for drama teaching,' he explained. 'That means that we have to subsidise the teaching of drama from the money we get for teaching music and that is not sustainable in the long term. We would urge the funding council and the Scottish Government to look again at our case for extra funding.'

For every music student taught by the academy, it receives £13,000 a year from the SFC but gets only £7000 a year per drama student. By comparison, similar academies in England such as the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art are paid £12,000 a year for drama students.

While critics maintain that the cuts would a detrimental affect on the teaching quality at RSAMD, the announcement also comes at a time when the conservatoire is hoping to establish a new dance school with Scottish Ballet in 2009 and set up a touring and musical company with the National Theatre and Scottish Opera.

'These grand plans are all well and good, but there is a feeling among staff that RSAMD is being taken away from its roots as a place which provides the very best teaching for those who want a career in the performing arts in Scotland,' an anonymous source told the paper.

'There is a concern they are trying to save money by getting rid of staff to pursue ambitious plans which are not at the heart of what we should be doing.'

www.rsamd.ac.uk

• Print
• Email to friend
• Discuss