million+ responds to cuts in student numbers and university funding
Responding to an article in The Times today (Thursday) in which the Secretary of State outlined the future cuts in funding to colleges and universities Professor Les Ebdon CBE Vice Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire and Chair of the university think-tank million+ said, “The Prime Minister’s commitment to education has been outstanding and he was right to say that the downturn is no time to slow down our investment in education.
“We now have a long queue of people wanting to attend university in September and DIUS cannot have it both ways. These cuts are damaging but no Government should damage the prospects of those who want to go to university in a recession.
“There is now an urgent need for the Government to get to the negotiating table and agree how additional student numbers will be funded so no one who could have gone to University becomes a claimant or unemployed in September.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- million+ is a university think tank working to solve the complex problems in higher education
- The Prime Minister set out his plan for education as a road to economic recovery this week. The speech can be found here http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page19209
- The Times article can be found here http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article6237222.ece
- For more information please contact Gemma Tumelty, Public Affairs Officer on 0207 7171657 or 07900 277819