College heads' pay rockets by 56% in eight years

The average pay of college heads has risen by more than 56% in the last eight years to nearly £120,000, according to figures released today  by UCU.

The union said the figures made a mockery of the oft-repeated claim that 'we are all in this together' as they show that college heads enjoyed a 7.1% pay rise in the last year (2008-09) while only awarding teaching staff a rise of 1%.

Between 2001-2 and 2008-09 the mean average pay of further education college principals increased by 56.2% from £76,506 to £119,482. In the same period of time college lecturers' pay increased by just 23.4%.

UCU said further education colleges must be more transparent over pay and warned that the trend of principals enjoying bumper rises while offering staff minimal rises risked exposing the sector to ridicule.

The news comes in the same month that 120,000 senior public employees are having their pay frozen. The union said the difference between those at the top and the rest was clear to see with college principals' pay rising at more than twice the rate of their staff over the last eight years.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'UCU is not against people being properly rewarded for jobs well done. However, we believe colleges need to be upfront about why principals are enjoying such bumper pay rises compared to teaching staff.

'At a time when the public sector is facing huge pressure to show restraint these large rises in principals' pay are embarrassing for the further educationsector. It is no use trying to pretend we are all in this together when the facts show us that those at the top are continuing to enjoy whopping pay increases.'

* Teachers' pay is a snapshot in April of the second year. For example, teachers' pay in 2001-02 was taken at April 2002. Principals' pay is the total earned between August and July.

**Full-time gross mean average annual pay. Source: ONS ASHE Table 14.7a.

***mean average, excluding sixth form colleges; excludes benefits in kind and pension contribution. Source: LSC College Accounts, series; UCU calculations.