The University and College Union (UCU) today (Thursday)
accused ministers of using a looming financial crisis to try and
impose severe restrictions on universities.
New guidance from the
government says not all universities will be “prevented from
exciting the market” and any public funding “would come with
restrictions to be determined on a case-by-case basis”.
Stressing once again that this was not the bailout that UCU and
others have called for to secure the future of universities,
the guidance warns that “financial support in the form of
repayable loans will only be provided if there is a case to do
so, and this is not a guarantee that no organisation will go into
insolvency”.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘This third so-called
bailout in a matter of months suggests the government has
recognised there is a serious crisis, but would rather use it to
try and impose severe restrictions on universities than ensure
their survival.
‘Higher education is one of the few things we remain a
world leader in, yet the government is prepared to exploit
universities’ financial difficulties to impose evidence-free
ideology and reduce the diversity and strength in depth of
university courses and research. What are these so-called
low-quality courses? Where is the evidence that cutting the
number of people going to university can improve our
economy?
‘The government’s obsession with graduate earnings as a
sole measure of quality exposes its refusal to engage with the
real issues behind inequality. Graduate
salaries are heavily determined by pre-existing factors
such as gender, race, social background, contacts and previous
education.
‘We need a proper plan to underwrite the funding that
universities are projected to lose to avert a looming
crisis. All degree study has the potential to
increase earnings, but it also brings with it so much more than
that as students gain many social and cultural benefits from
going to university.’
