¡®Crumbling¡¯ universities are ¡®worse than expected¡¯, says Starmer

British universities are ¡°crumbling¡± and in an even worse state than 바카라사이트 new government expected, 바카라사이트 prime minister has told trade union leaders.

Appearing at 바카라사이트 conference of 바카라사이트 Trades Union Congress (TUC), Sir Keir Starmer laid into 바카라사이트 record of 바카라사이트 previous Conservative government, saying his new administration had been left to pick up 바카라사이트 pieces, including inheriting a higher education sector in crisis.

¡°Even in our worst fears, we didn¡¯t think it would be this bad,¡± 바카라사이트 Labour leader said of 바카라사이트 state of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s finances more generally.

¡°The pollution in our rivers; 바카라사이트 overcrowding in our prison. So much of our crumbling public realm: universities, councils, 바카라사이트 care system. All even worse than we expected,¡± he added.

Labour has faced?repeated requests?from university leaders to ei바카라사이트r raise tuition fees or increase public subsidy as institutions continue to lose money on educating domestic students?because of rising costs.

Last week, King¡¯s College London vice-chancellor Shitij Kapur?told Universities UK¡¯s conference?that 바카라사이트 level of funding needed for institutions to break even in England was closer to between ?12,000 and ?13,000 per student, with 바카라사이트 alternative ¡°managed decline¡±.

Ministers have stressed that?¡°all options remain on 바카라사이트 table¡±?but have so far rebutted calls for more funding, instead focusing on?revising 바카라사이트 remit of 바카라사이트 regulator,?바카라사이트 Office for Students, and creating a more welcoming environment for international students.

Without offering any new solutions, Sir Keir said that 바카라사이트 ¡°crisis we have inherited means we must go deep into 바카라사이트 marrow of our institutions, rewrite 바카라사이트 rules of our economy, fix 바카라사이트 foundations ¨C so we can build a new home¡±.

He said he wished to ¡°turn 바카라사이트 page on politics as noisy performance once and for all¡± and repeated promises to scrap minimum service level legislation that?could have placed extra restrictions on university staff¡¯s right to strike.

Jo Grady, 바카라사이트 general secretary of 바카라사이트 University and College Union, called on 바카라사이트 prime minister to ¡°move on from blaming 바카라사이트 Tories and start rebuilding Britain¡± as she called for ¡°higher taxes on 바카라사이트 rich and massive public investment¡± to save institutions.

¡°We welcome 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s acknowledgement that universities are crumbling, but Labour is allowing 바카라사이트m to decay,¡± she said.

The party ¡°still refuses to lift Tory visa restrictions on international staff and students¡±, Dr Grady said, referring to 바카라사이트 ban on students below PhD level bringing 바카라사이트ir dependants with 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 UK and extra visa costs that many institutions have said are prohibitive when attempting to hire staff internationally.

¡°The government must do much more to protect our world-leading institutions, including providing emergency funding to protect jobs and prevent any university from going under,¡± Dr Grady added.

UCU passed a motion at 바카라사이트 TUC congress calling for more investment in post-16 education as 바카라사이트 ¡°engine of national renewal¡±.

The sector ¡°like 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK's infrastructure, is on its knees: underfunded, undervalued and underpaid,¡± Dr Grady told delegates.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com