Prison education is the unsung part of post-school education. It plays a crucial role in work with offenders and the prevention of re-offending. Its lecturers work often work in the most difficult of situations, often with less support or respect.

More crime could follow poor pay of prison educators

Higher rates of reoffending will be the likely outcome if the current method of funding prison education creates a shortage of prison educators. A Forum on Prison Education report exposes the lower pay of prison educators compared to colleagues in colleges and schools.

All Party Parliamentary Group for Further Education and Lifelong Learning

The group is investigating the current state of prisoner education. It will publish a report on the issue in the early autumn. So far they have heard submissions from OLSU and the Prison Service, Forum for Prisoner Education, The Prison Reform Trust, Prison Education Trust, Anne Owers, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and David Sherlock Chief Inspector of the Adult Learning Inspectorate. They have also visited Wandsworth Prison, meeting staff and students.

See NATFHE submission (Word doc)

Education and Skills Select Committee inquiry into prison education

The committee will explore the extent to which the present organisation of prison education enables and encourages inmates to engage in educational activity, increase their knowledge and skills and to examine the effectiveness of basic skills and vocational training in prison and the extent to which this provision prepares prisoners for life in the community.

See NATFHE submission (Word doc)

Over recent years prison education has been through privatisation and contracting out of services, cuts in resources and staff, lowering of pay rates and narrowing of the prison education curriculum.

NATFHE is the only union that represents all prison education lecturers. During privatisation NATFHE took the issues of prison education lecturers to the European Court of Justice and won!

NATFHE is in regular contact with the Home Office, the Prison Education Service and the colleges and local authorities who employ lecturingstaff. NATFHE sits on the Prison Regimes Committee and brings up issues concerning prison education.

There are NATFHE prison education branches, but most members are members of the NATFHE branch of whichever the college or local authority is their employer. NATFHE branch officers can offer information and advice.

Also see the latest edition of Prison Education News (pdf file).

Previous issues of Prison Education News:
December 2003

Your branch is backed up by the expertise of professional staff in our national and regional offices.

Our Colleges Department of national and regional experts supports you at work and represents your views to employers and government.

Many people in prison education work part-time . NATFHE offers advice on your rights and campaigns for the implementation of equality laws for part-time staff.

NATFHE publishes material and organises events on matters of professional concern.