University’s 500 job cuts make no sense

Dear Ed,

THE London Metropolitan University faces an unprecedented threat to its future, with 500 teaching jobs and as many as 11,000 student places being cut as it seeks to repay �40 million to the Government.

There appears to have been misreporting of student drop-out rates and the university was therefore overpaid’ by the Higher Education Funding Council.

The cuts make no sense in themselves. The university’s International Institute of Cuba Studies was set up only two years ago and is already ahead of schedule to show a net income within the next three years. Yet it is being closed.

International students from all over the world have been attracted to the university’s furniture design department which is facing massive cutbacks.

The outreach department whose role is to raise educational horizons in the community is also being slashed.

The Funding Council has offered to lend the university money to try and help them get over the crisis. Why has this offer not been taken up by the university management which, by the way, created this mess in the first place?

If there has been misreporting, it is not the fault of the staff or students who are now being made to suffer.

The Prime Minister has said we can’t cut our way out of recession. The same applies to the London Met.

The Government was only too willing to pour billions into the financial black hole in the City. London Met actually does something useful providing higher education to 34,000 students every year, many of them from poor backgrounds.

The Government must sort out this mess out by providing the finance, not only to maintain staff and student enrolment, but to expand it.

Cllr Abjol Miah

Respect Group leader

Tower Hamlets Council

Town Hall, Blackwall