Ref.29370-06 College Principal Mike HopkinsCOLLEGE JOBS EXCLUSIVE: A new approach to teaching is the reason that has been given for staff numbers being cut at Swindon campus.

STAFF at Swindon College have been told that 150 jobs are to be axed.

The loss is down to a new approach to teaching being introduced in September, said college principal Mike Hopkins.

He told lecturers and support staff yesterday that their positions were under review.

Compulsory redundancies will be kept to a minimum and it is anticipated some staff will leave voluntarily, he said.

Other posts will be axed when staff leave or retire. The review will be complete by August.

Although the move will save about £1.2m a year, Mr Hopkins stressed that cost-cutting was not the primary motive.

He said: "These new teaching methods are needed if we are to improve standards and give students an excellent education.

"They are more focused on preparing students for the world of work and are being introduced at many other colleges.

"Although there is a financial incentive, these changes would happen anyway. I very much regret that staff will have to go and it has been a tough decision to make.

"But to keep at the forefront of good practice, and give students the best possible provision, there are times when you have to make hard decisions.

"I value all my staff and recognise the important role they played in helping us get last year's Ofsted report, which ranged from satisfactory to excellent.

"But we want to be excellent across the board."

Mr Hopkins pledged to keep trade unions fully informed during the review.

But the job losses have been condemned by the National Association of Teachers in Fur-ther and Higher Education. Regional support official Nova Gresham was horrified by the scale of the redundancies.

"Where are all these redundant lecturers from Swindon going to go? We are heading for a catastrophe in education," she said. "I've doubts about this new learning system because although it suits some students who are very self-motivated, it may not suit others."

The shake-up in teaching methods means that the equivalent of 70 full-time positions are going, some of which are staffed through job shares, so it will affect 150 staff. The college employs 1,100 staff and teaches 15,000 students.

So-called 'task-based learning' places more emphasis on giving students the skills they need to teach themselves.

Lecturers say that the system prepares students for the work better than traditional methods.

More emphasis will be placed on using IT, work experience, individual research and tutorials.

The jobs are going because the approach is also more efficient.

For example, students from different courses who need to cover shared topics will be taught together rather than in separate groups.

The new campus currently being built at North Star has been specifically designed to cater for the new teaching techniques.

Students will be assessed to find out what system of teaching suits them best.While some learn best from books, others find it easier to absorb information from discussion groups.

Lynne Scragg, the director of student services, said: "The approach is student-led, and makes them more independent and responsible."

Tamash Lal