Scotland's universities suffer as funding is cut and competition starts to bite

THERE ARE things that most of us never give much thought to. We don't consider the drains as long as they work. We regard the regular arrival of letters and parcels as routine. We assume Scotland's universities will maintain the high standards for which they are renowned worldwide.

It is only when things begin to smell that we remember the drains. It is only when an expected item doesn’t arrive that we consider the postal service.

And it is only when the latest round of university funding cuts begin to bite that we might start worrying about how we maintain our cherished standards in the face of well-funded competition from south of the Border, and elsewhere.

Scottish universities are already at a great financial disadvantage. Most of their undergraduates are from Scotland and the European Union.

Current Scottish Government and EU policies interact in a way that means our HE institutions cannot charge fees to any of these students – only to students from the rest of the UK, or international students. But English universities can now charge fees to all students, including those from England.

The Scottish Government is cutting university budgets by 3.9 per cent in 2016-17. At Aberdeen University, for example, this will mean £2.7 million less to spend this year. In addition, all Scottish universities will have to meet increasing pension and national insurance costs out of their diminished budgets. And Scottish universities can’t increase their budget allocation by recruiting more Scottish undergraduate students – the government have put a cap on recruitment.

So one question is, will we notice and care in future if our Scottish universities begin to struggle to maintain the quality of education available to Scots students?

And another is, how will future governments ensure Scottish universities can compete financially with English universities?

Eric Crockart

Harlaw Road, Aberdeen