Lecturers jobs to go

More than 2,000 lecturers' jobs will be lost this year in colleges and universities, a union claimed yesterday, writes Fran Abrams.

The National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education, Natfhe, said there could be more redundancies later in the year because of government funding cuts.

They come on top of 1,500 full time teaching posts lost last year. Some universities have put forward proposals to cut academic staff though most of the jobs lost would be in colleges, the union said. Among universities where redundancies are threatened are former polytechnics De Montfort, Derby, London Guildhall, Portsmouth, Teesside, South Bank and Westminster.

Spending per student in further education colleges would drop by some 16 per cent in three years and in universities by 12 per cent, it said.

The colleges will have 3 per cent more students in September but will be expected to make savings.

The Further Education Funding Council said the majority of colleges would receive a funding increase next year.