Dear All
The problem with universities is that politicians allowed them to operate without proper control and oversight.
Politicians of all political parties sat back and allowed universities to engage in empire building, unsustainable empire building.
They then stepped in and got their pictures took to try and boost their parties political fortunes as to be seen to be doing something, when they were doing nothing except getting their picture taken.
Policies of substance were lacking, control was lacking and vision was lacking.
The taxpayer was the paymaster via Holyrood, now politician knows what to do about the finanical mess universities have caused.
And the option of propping up greed and excess in a bloated sector isn’t an option.
Possible funding cuts of more than £150 million for Scottish universities next year are coming down the pipeline.
This will lead to thousands of job losses, cuts in courses and lasting damage to the sector’s international reputation.
Higher education needs reform and cannot be sustained or ring fenced, not when the most vulnerable in society are facing real hardship.
The Scottish Funding Council has told universities to prepare for cuts of 16%.
Another part of the equation is that the Westminster Government could make students in England pay up to £9000 a year in tuition fees.
The only way to protect Scottish education is to shrink the university sector and transferred funds to the college sector which produces a better ratio of money spent to students taught.
If the Scottish Government brings forward proposals for a graduate tax, it will not find favour with the voting public, particular the working class who continually see measures being brought in to restrict their access to higher education.
If it is political unacceptable to close universities then the Scottish Government should ask them to draw plans to cull entire departments, services and courses.
The education market needs to be seriously adjusted and that means politicians have to take a serious lead.
Populist policies or graduation tax will not work, substance is needed.
It needs George Laird style thinking, radical and visionary, the goal is not to prop up failing universities but to get as many Scottish students educated as possible.
People are our most valuable resource.
Not institutions.
Scotland needs only two world class universities, the obvious candidates are St Andrews and Scotland’s education powerhouse Edinburgh University.
Failing universities like Glasgow University should be scaled down, it is ranked 128th in the world, too much money is poured in for too little return.
The college sector is the route that the Scottish Government should be examining, investment there and scaling back in the university sector.
The problem with universities is that politicians allowed them to operate without proper control and oversight.
Politicians of all political parties sat back and allowed universities to engage in empire building, unsustainable empire building.
They then stepped in and got their pictures took to try and boost their parties political fortunes as to be seen to be doing something, when they were doing nothing except getting their picture taken.
Policies of substance were lacking, control was lacking and vision was lacking.
The taxpayer was the paymaster via Holyrood, now politician knows what to do about the finanical mess universities have caused.
And the option of propping up greed and excess in a bloated sector isn’t an option.
Possible funding cuts of more than £150 million for Scottish universities next year are coming down the pipeline.
This will lead to thousands of job losses, cuts in courses and lasting damage to the sector’s international reputation.
Higher education needs reform and cannot be sustained or ring fenced, not when the most vulnerable in society are facing real hardship.
The Scottish Funding Council has told universities to prepare for cuts of 16%.
Another part of the equation is that the Westminster Government could make students in England pay up to £9000 a year in tuition fees.
The only way to protect Scottish education is to shrink the university sector and transferred funds to the college sector which produces a better ratio of money spent to students taught.
If the Scottish Government brings forward proposals for a graduate tax, it will not find favour with the voting public, particular the working class who continually see measures being brought in to restrict their access to higher education.
If it is political unacceptable to close universities then the Scottish Government should ask them to draw plans to cull entire departments, services and courses.
The education market needs to be seriously adjusted and that means politicians have to take a serious lead.
Populist policies or graduation tax will not work, substance is needed.
It needs George Laird style thinking, radical and visionary, the goal is not to prop up failing universities but to get as many Scottish students educated as possible.
People are our most valuable resource.
Not institutions.
Scotland needs only two world class universities, the obvious candidates are St Andrews and Scotland’s education powerhouse Edinburgh University.
Failing universities like Glasgow University should be scaled down, it is ranked 128th in the world, too much money is poured in for too little return.
The college sector is the route that the Scottish Government should be examining, investment there and scaling back in the university sector.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
3 comments:
well said George, you are of course right, pity that the SNP are so backward looking, the Labour Party will save higher education in Scotland by making those difficult choices. Your party is rather shallow when it comes to real decisions.
I feel betrayed by Alex Salmond, so many broken promises, the sooner this dysfunctional excuse for government collapses the better.
All political parties in Scotland are controlled by the London Establishment. It's irrelevant 'who' gets in.
Independence for Scotland is the only way. This won't happen as the vast majority are caught in the rigged-sport/good-times/internet/TV/drugs/alcohol headlight.
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