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15,000 university posts 'face axe'
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More than 15,000 university posts could be axed over the next few years as a result of budget cuts, a higher education union warned.
In a report in the Guardian, the University and College Union (UCU) said the majority of the positions lost would be academic, meanwhile institutions may be forced to ditch courses and close campuses.
It follows the announcement last week of swinging cuts which will see budgets reduced by £449 million for 2010/11.
Academics have already warned that it could result in tens of thousands of would-be students missing out on university places.
Having spoken to vice-chancellors and other senior staff at 25 universities, the Guardian learned of plans of closing campus doors, jettisoning certain classes and using post-graduates rather than professors for teaching.
Some of those consulted described the funding cuts as "painful" and "insidious".
The newspapers reports that planned savings envisaged by institutions and unions includes more than 200 job losses at King's College, London, 700 at Leeds and 340 at Sheffield Hallam.
Elsewhere entire campuses could be closed at Cumbria and Wolverhampton universities, it is suggested.
Reader views (3)
I live in the USA now and watching what is happening to british education is almost criminal. Blair's "dumbing down" policy (to make unemployment figures look better). leading to more students begs the question "who is going to pay for all this new education?"
A levels used to be very sophisticated and hard! I cannot see how so many kids get 5 A levels with grades A or B.
The American system costs an absolute fortune and in these troubled times, Americans are wondering how to pay for it all. A lesson to be learnt before it is too late.
RayJ.
- Ray Jarvis, marlborough USA, 08/02/2010 20:46
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this may mean an end to all those pointless meaningless degrees from easy to get into pointless 'universities, whose degrees has zero value on the graduate job market. I used to teach at a 'new' university and most of the undergraduates could hardly read or write properly.
- Ava, London, UK, 08/02/2010 13:39
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Very amazing situation in UK education instution, slashing the foreign student visa axes the jobs, fake colleges what all this is going on. Very dark future for every one in UK.There is more finalcial crunch in near future. Lot of unemployment among youth. How you will get cheap labour?? Stop the war in AF and spend the money on publuic welfare. It is only drug business war last 8 year. Our your generation is busy in drug business and gang war in various location. Killing the innocent young and elderly peoples without reason.
GOD HELP US SAVE OUT LIFE
- Chishty, London, 08/02/2010 10:51
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