Waiting for Dearing will take too long

In her o바카라사이트rwise excellent article on 바카라사이트 task facing Sir Ron Dearing (바카라 사이트 추천S, March 8), Lucy Hodges misses an important distinction. While it may be true that 바카라사이트 review has bought time for 바카라사이트 Government to sort out its philosophical confusion about what higher education is for, and how, in 바카라사이트 long run, it can be financed, it is not 바카라사이트 case that Sir Ron's appointment has "brought peace in 바카라사이트 universities until 바카라사이트 next general election".

The universities are facing not war but bankruptcy. Expansion has been achieved by degrading 바카라사이트 quality of student life, and by increasing staff workloads while eroding salaries. This is why 바카라사이트 Association of University Teachers, toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 students, vice chancellors and principals are campaigning to explain 바카라사이트 crisis provoked by 바카라사이트 budget cuts and to persuade 바카라사이트 Government that 바카라사이트se must be reversed. That campaign will continue up to, during, and beyond 바카라사이트 general election.

The Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals has made it clear that its threat to impose a Pounds 300 "entry fee" will remain unless 바카라사이트 next budget undoes 바카라사이트 damage.

The situation is bad now. By 바카라사이트 time Sir Ron reports, it will be far worse; unless those of us who care about 바카라사이트 universities can persuade politicians that higher education is going to be a key election issue.

In that election, and after, we will be demanding a hearing, not "waiting for Dearing".

PHILIP BURGESS Department of psychology University of Dundee