Originally published March 23rd 2010

Documents leaked last week reveal that funding intended to aid University departments in preventing cuts will be in fact used for other purposes.

Moray House is facing staff cuts after the Scottish Government slashed the number of teacher training places it will support in coming years.
It has been reported that lecturers in the department are outraged by the revelantion after permanent staff were sent redundancy warning letters in recent weeks.
The University of Edinburgh is supposed to receive £366,000 of £3 million earmarked for ‘transition funding’ at teacher training institutions around the country.
The Government promised the funding to help those institutions retain staff in the face of cuts, but leaked documents reveal that the money will be used for purposes not related to initial teacher training.
The report, compiled by the University’s central management states: “We would intend to use any transitional funding which we receive from the government/Scottish Funding Council to make some investments in the School of Education which will allow it to build up its non-Initial Teacher Education provision.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said that while the Government does not comment on leaked documents, “any applications for a share of the £3m fund must clearly outline the use to which the money will be put in relation to maintaining capacity for future years and the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence.”
Lecturer at Moray House, Professor Terry Wrigley,  has been acting as an advocate for the department, and has met with education secretary Mike Russell MSP to discuss the cuts faced by teacher training institutions across Scotland. Wrigley declined to comment to The Student directly, and instead directed questions to the UCU, the lecturers union.
Mary Senior, a UCU Scottish official, told The Student, “UCU has not seen Edinburgh University’s proposals for the utilisation of the transitionary funding. It is our understanding that a proposal is with Scottish Government Officials for their comment. In the consultation meetings with Edinburgh University management, UCU has stressed that we believe the transitionary funding should be used to retain expertise in Moray House. We will continue to engage with management on this matter to do at utmost to defend jobs and education.”
A University spokesman has told The Scotsman newspaper, “We are finalising proposals to be put to the Scottish Government for the use of the transitional funding which they have made available to us. As those proposals have to be approved by the Scottish Government, it is clear that our use of the transitional funding will be entirely in accordance with the wishes of the Scottish Government.”