“paying people less – employing youth workers and other non-lecturers, who get young people into the classroom and get them qualifications…”.

Well did you know that what he didn’t boast about was the fact Peter Tavernor achieved this by doing it in the summer break, leaving one hell of a mess and a six week backlog for professional lecturers to sort out, while they were teaching, or face the sack, when they got back.

One can only presume that these unqualified workers did exactly what Stringer said they did and – ‘got’ the qualifications for them – not, as any professional would do and assess their potential, direct them to a course suitable to their ability levels and individual needs, teach them the skills, pass on their knowledge and promote an understanding of the subject needed to ‘earn’ a qualification for themselves.

This barbarism flies in the face of the accumulated cannons of enlightenment through education. If TMC get away with this they will destroy the foundations of modern education and we will enter into a dark and desolate age of ignorance and vulgarity, in the style of its instigator, Peter Tavernor. An age in which ‘Tavernorism’ will be the euphemism for exploitation in educational establishments throughout our country.

This is precisely what the current cuts are all about. TMC’s ultimate goal is to employ non-teachers to take classes and ‘get them qualifications’ by whatever means necessary.

Let me tell you Mr Tavernor, you’re kidding no one, as an ex teacher you know very well there’s more to quality education than bums on seats and qualifications. Admit it, this is all about money, not least your £200,000 and nothing else.

Join us now! We must unite to stop the spread of Tavernorism!

Look at the Manchester College website and see the tutor job desriptions – they have used generic job descriptions and “no person Specification is available”.
This College is in a mess.
It is trying to sell itself as a Rolls-Royce when it is just a Skoda with a good paint job and a failing engine management system.

But we’re not alone in our criticism of TMC Management. As well as Support Staff and Lectures, MP’s from all over the country are making their feeling known. Here’s the Parliamentary Early Day Motion (EDM) condemning TMC in their dealings with Offender Learning. It’s been signed by MP’s from all major political parties in the UK.

(Glad to see one Manchester MP, John Leech, Manchester Withington has set the ball rolling). Come on the rest of you, get your fingers out!

Quote:
That this House is dismayed at the actions of the Manchester College (TMC) in its dealings with staff working for the Offender Learning Directorate; notes that TMC is forcing long-serving staff who teach in prisons to accept a reduction in salary of up to £7,500 per year, despite having assured them in a letter dated 9 April 2010 that no-one would lose any pay as a result of the proposed changes to their contracts; regrets that TMC has de-recognised the University and College Union (UCU); is concerned that the education of prisoners could be affected by any escalation in the dispute; and urges TMC to agree to immediate talks with UCU in an effort to bring this dispute to a satisfactory conclusion.
Unquote:

They are the ones who don’t know there’s a recession when it comes to making cuts. They gave themselves a 10% rise, no wonder they’re all smiling.

They call themselves ‘The Manchester College principalship’. One principle, Peter Tavernor, and nine vice princples would you believe.

What a motley crew they are. A bit like the legendary ship of fools, nine selfish passengers on a luxury cruise piloted by a deaf and blind captain, oblivious to the dangers of the course he has set.

http://www.themanchestercollege.ac.uk/about/leadership-governance

http://www.themanchestercollege.ac.uk/about/leadership-governance/governing-body

P.S. You’ll get a laugh when you Google some of them. Try – “Eddy Sheehy” Manchester – for starters.
P.P.S. I couldn’t help notice that some also bear a striking resemblance to P.T. himself!!!

Yes, believe it or not, backed by public opinion Tavernor has been dragged, kicking and screaming to the negotiating table for the first time. Prior to this he would only agree to ‘consultations’.

Public outrage at his latest attack on dedicated prison education staff was widespread and included expressions of concern and outright condemnation from Mp’s of all Parties, the Parliamentary Justice Committee, the House of Lords, the Prisoners Education Trust, the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Association of Police Authorities, Local Councils across the country and a large number of Prison Governors who have been genuinely shocked by recent revelations about his ‘modus operandi’.

I think now it’s time to take a leaf out of his book, get him to accept he has capitulated, sign a document agreeing to all of our demands, cow down, keep his mouth shut, get on with it and be glad he has a job when there’s a recession going on.

Sounds extreme doesn’t it but this is precisely what he planned to do to us – and in some cases probably did where non union staff were concerned. What’s good for the goose?

Since he began his reign of terror at TMC this, now briefly compliant, anti-union Tyrant has ruined lives and broken families with his callous management and blatantly conspiratorial policy to provoke, weed out dissent, dismiss unfairly, be found guilty at a Tribunal and happily face the consequences.

Try to imagine his face while he reads this article; do you think he’ll look bothered? Does he seem like the kind of man who will change his principals, now that he’s been forced into listening for once?

The rest of the world and his mother have seen what a hash he’s making of TMC.

It’s time for someone other than Tavernor or any of his motley crew to steer TMC back to where it used to be before he wangled himself, his accomplices, sycophants and their families into all the plum jobs at TMC.

Mr Tavernor, why don’t you and your colleagues do the honourable thing for the sake of TMC; apologise for your gross mismanagement and RESIGN right now?

Teaching is by definition a caring profession so let’s appoint a Principle and a management team who actually care about TMC; loyal, long standing, dedicated staff and the future of students in both the main college and Offender Learning instead of those, like Tavernor and his control freaks, who only care about their ridiculously unworkable ‘harmonised’ contracts, extravagant building projects and feathering their own nests through lies, bullying, coercion and exploitation.