Malcolm expresses concern for our world class arts education
institution
Future of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and
Drama
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab):
Returning to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama,
do the minister and her colleague, the cabinet secretary - who is sitting beside
her - recognise that the RSAMD is a world-class institution that depends to
a large extent on one-to-one tuition? Are they therefore concerned about the
new contracts that are being offered to teachers? The RSAMD appears to be at
risk of losing staff because of the greatly reduced salaries that are being offered
for fewer hours of work.
Does the minister accept that the Scottish Government has a responsibility because
the drama courses in particular are not funded at conservatoire level and have
to cross-subsidise the music courses? Will she intervene with the Scottish Further
and Higher Education Funding Council to try to rectify the underlying problem?Linda
Fabiani: We respect and value the work of the
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and its contribution to the arts in
Scotland. However, I can only reiterate that decisions on the strategic direction
of individual institutions are the responsibility of the management of those
institutions. Of course, as I said earlier, we expect management to consult both
staff and unions.
I must put on the record the fact that there was a 4.8 per cent uplift in the
funding of the RSAMD this year.
April 24th 2008, (Columns 7940)