Lecturers angry over education cuts

Published on Friday 1 April 2011 17:47

LECTURERS' leaders have accused university bosses of using the financial shortfall in higher education as an "excuse" to push through cuts.

University and College Union (UCU) Scotland President, Lesley McIntosh, slammed principals at the union's conference in Dundee yesterday.

She said: "The excuse of funding cuts from management is being used to push through their own selfish agendas."

The Scotsman understands that, during a private session at the event, delegates discussed further national strike action in May.

However, university principals said they faced tough decisions in the light of deep funding cuts.

Alastair Sim, director of Universities Scotland, said: "University leaders are having to respond to the deepest level of Government funding cuts in a generation, including an 11 per cent cut in teaching grant while maintaining current student numbers. That inevitably forces tough decisions."

Claire Baker, Labour higher education spokeswoman, said she was concerned at the level of cuts at universities.

"Principals are making questionable decisions which I think UCU are right to question," she said at the conference. "I certainly I agree there needs to be a change in how universities make decisions.

"I think universities are using the cuts as a way to drive through changes they want to do."

She added: "The situation is serious and we need to find a way to draw a halt to it."

Delegates at the conference also demanded an independent inquiry from the next Scottish Government into governance and management at Stirling University 17 staff in the aquaculture department were told they were being made compulsorily redundant last month.