New East Lancashire university centres 'strangled at birth' (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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New East Lancashire university centres 'strangled at birth'
9:00am Wednesday 3rd February 2010 in
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- By Nafeesa Shan » Reporter
MINISTERS have been accused of ‘strangling at birth’ East Lancashire’s new flagship university centres after putting a freeze on student numbers.
Alan Roff, deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Central Lancashire, has revealed there will be no government money to fund extra places for students at the two university centres in Burnley and Blackburn after 2011.
The centres, which were opened with a fanfare of publicity in September, were due to expand rapidly over the next three years.
But now a projected 250 additional places will not be filled at the Burnley campus and around 300 for the university centre in Blackburn will not be created each year, a total loss of up to 1,650 places over the three years.
The announcement comes despite around £25million of taxpayers’ money being invested in education in East Lancashire to help maximise the numbers of people wanting to access higher levels of training.
Bosses at the centres said they were seeking other funding through employer partnerships to ensure they can continue to grow.
Mr Roff, speaking at a Pennine Lancashire committee meeting, said: “So far, 1,000 full time equivalent places in higher education across East Lancashire have been created.
“But after 2010/11 there will be no extra places as the government has put an embargo on future growth.
“We have not got funding for any more places. Unless we can put political pressure on the government, we will not be able to fill the capital investment we have made, which is absolutely crazy.”
Leader of Burnley Council Gordon Birtwistle said: “The best part of £90million has been invested in the Burnley centre and now the Government can’t find funding for additional people to go to this university which will help the town’s economy.
“It is like strangling a baby at birth, we are trying to develop employable people in Burnley.
“The town is short of people to do jobs that we presently have in Burnley.
“It is absolutely atrocious, the situation is ridiculous.
"The Government should hang their heads in shame.“ Helen Mather, Blackburn College University Centre dean, said: “It is impossible to predict the future.
"We are safe at the moment and until 2011 but after that we have to wait for a funding announcement.
“The funding situation is a concern but we are looking to tackle it through a series of funding streams.
“Potentially we are looking at forming partnerships with employers for example and we are committed to the continuation of growth.”
Coun Julie Cooper, Labour leader on Burnley Council, said: “As a teacher I am a huge supporter of education and want to see maximum investment.”
Richard Ali, the town’s prospective Conservative MP, said: “Any cut to educational funding will not help get Burnley back to work.”
Mike Damms, chief executive of East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, said: "It is nonsense to make such a big capital investment and not populate the place with students.
"The economy in East Lancashire is 10 to 15,000 graduate level short compared to comparable economies.
"Freezing graduate numbers is freezing an area that is already at a disadvantage.
"It would permanantly disadvantage East Lancashire."
Comments(18)
Noiticer
says...
10:07am Wed 3 Feb 10
Having worked with students I was often amazed at how little they knew even about their specialisms. The value of bachelor degrees seems to fallen steadily to the point where they are 'two a penny'
tpreece01
says...
10:17am Wed 3 Feb 10
karltop
says...
11:54am Wed 3 Feb 10
ladysal
says...
12:46pm Wed 3 Feb 10
karltop wrote:last time I looked, they hadn't started colour coding students: out of a huge student body (FE & HE) how can you tell which are the degree students?
You look at the "students" wandering round town at lunchtime, none of them look like they have anything about them. If this is the calibre of undergraduates in the town, then they may as well shut the whole thing down. frightening.
Noiticer: these are Lancaster validated degrees - are you unimpressed with their standards or is this just another excuse for a go at education?
karltop
says...
2:00pm Wed 3 Feb 10
ladysal wrote:It doesn't matter which ones are FE and which are HE, they're all the same. I do worry about the future of this country.
karltop wrote: You look at the "students" wandering round town at lunchtime, none of them look like they have anything about them. If this is the calibre of undergraduates in the town, then they may as well shut the whole thing down. frightening.last time I looked, they hadn't started colour coding students: out of a huge student body (FE & HE) how can you tell which are the degree students? Noiticer: these are Lancaster validated degrees - are you unimpressed with their standards or is this just another excuse for a go at education?
Wikidi
says...
2:36pm Wed 3 Feb 10
karltop wrote:I've been a student at Blackburn its true only a tiny proportion of students did wander but are you supposing to stay them all were harassing you something is in actual fact confusing over here because apart from studies they do require fresh air with time to socialise with their friends.
ladysal wrote:It doesn't matter which ones are FE and which are HE, they're all the same. I do worry about the future of this country.karltop wrote: You look at the "students" wandering round town at lunchtime, none of them look like they have anything about them. If this is the calibre of undergraduates in the town, then they may as well shut the whole thing down. frightening.last time I looked, they hadn't started colour coding students: out of a huge student body (FE & HE) how can you tell which are the degree students? Noiticer: these are Lancaster validated degrees - are you unimpressed with their standards or is this just another excuse for a go at education?
That’s only if you have ever had a chance to experience a student’s life!
karltop
says...
2:58pm Wed 3 Feb 10
Wikidi wrote:Well done! You proved my point. It's obvious that you studied at Blackburn, because that post made no sense whatsoever. Bet you got A*'s too. Truly terrifying...
karltop wrote:I've been a student at Blackburn its true only a tiny proportion of students did wander but are you supposing to stay them all were harassing you something is in actual fact confusing over here because apart from studies they do require fresh air with time to socialise with their friends. That’s only if you have ever had a chance to experience a student’s life!ladysal wrote:It doesn't matter which ones are FE and which are HE, they're all the same. I do worry about the future of this country.karltop wrote: You look at the "students" wandering round town at lunchtime, none of them look like they have anything about them. If this is the calibre of undergraduates in the town, then they may as well shut the whole thing down. frightening.last time I looked, they hadn't started colour coding students: out of a huge student body (FE & HE) how can you tell which are the degree students? Noiticer: these are Lancaster validated degrees - are you unimpressed with their standards or is this just another excuse for a go at education?
excaliber
says...
3:19pm Wed 3 Feb 10
Wikidi wrote:You must an English Literature student, since your style is a wonderful example of the stream of consciousness/interi
karltop wrote:I've been a student at Blackburn its true only a tiny proportion of students did wander but are you supposing to stay them all were harassing you something is in actual fact confusing over here because apart from studies they do require fresh air with time to socialise with their friends.
ladysal wrote:It doesn't matter which ones are FE and which are HE, they're all the same. I do worry about the future of this country.karltop wrote: You look at the "students" wandering round town at lunchtime, none of them look like they have anything about them. If this is the calibre of undergraduates in the town, then they may as well shut the whole thing down. frightening.last time I looked, they hadn't started colour coding students: out of a huge student body (FE & HE) how can you tell which are the degree students? Noiticer: these are Lancaster validated degrees - are you unimpressed with their standards or is this just another excuse for a go at education?
That’s only if you have ever had a chance to experience a student’s life!
or monologue literary technique, characterised by associative leaps in syntax and punctuation. We have another James Joyce or Dostoevsky here. Who says education is a waste of time?
cazbly
says...
3:53pm Wed 3 Feb 10
karltop wrote:That is very strange, they all look remarkably different to me! Different sexes, different colours, different ages. Then of course, as ladysal pointed out, there is a mix of HE and FE students in the town. Further, many of the HE students are at their own place of work during the daytime and only attend their studies in the evening.
ladysal wrote:It doesn't matter which ones are FE and which are HE, they're all the same. I do worry about the future of this country.karltop wrote: You look at the "students" wandering round town at lunchtime, none of them look like they have anything about them. If this is the calibre of undergraduates in the town, then they may as well shut the whole thing down. frightening.last time I looked, they hadn't started colour coding students: out of a huge student body (FE & HE) how can you tell which are the degree students? Noiticer: these are Lancaster validated degrees - are you unimpressed with their standards or is this just another excuse for a go at education?
Sorry to say, your generalisation is really rather pathetic.
karltop
says...
4:23pm Wed 3 Feb 10
cazbly wrote:Do they all look remarkably different to you?!! ho, ho... Being deliberately obtuse is pathetic.
karltop wrote:That is very strange, they all look remarkably different to me! Different sexes, different colours, different ages. Then of course, as ladysal pointed out, there is a mix of HE and FE students in the town. Further, many of the HE students are at their own place of work during the daytime and only attend their studies in the evening. Sorry to say, your generalisation is really rather pathetic.ladysal wrote:It doesn't matter which ones are FE and which are HE, they're all the same. I do worry about the future of this country.karltop wrote: You look at the "students" wandering round town at lunchtime, none of them look like they have anything about them. If this is the calibre of undergraduates in the town, then they may as well shut the whole thing down. frightening.last time I looked, they hadn't started colour coding students: out of a huge student body (FE & HE) how can you tell which are the degree students? Noiticer: these are Lancaster validated degrees - are you unimpressed with their standards or is this just another excuse for a go at education?
Izanears
says...
4:47pm Wed 3 Feb 10
A lot of them still come out thicker than a short plank.
Wikidi
says...
8:43pm Wed 3 Feb 10
Again for your petty observations I would advise something especially for you to be beyond a school.
Without education your nothing – keep reading this!
chrislancs
says...
9:04pm Wed 3 Feb 10
perhaps we should see this as an opportunity to reconsider what these establishments could offer.
And if the people of Burnley keep voting BNP they will get less, this government is spiteful like that.
Chris Reid PPC
English Democrats
Hyndburn
karltop
says...
9:17pm Wed 3 Feb 10
Wikidi wrote:That last line......!!! You couldn't make it up!!! My nothing what?...... Great stuff. With your "education", "your" everything, aren't you?!!
A person who doesn’t get his/her spelling correct is someone that’s supposed to get educated themselves definitely because after reading your remark and the reply I thought kid you know a lot, now don’t say what’s my mistake it’s obvious.
Again for your petty observations I would advise something especially for you to be beyond a school.
Without education your nothing – keep reading this!
excaliber
says...
9:24pm Wed 3 Feb 10
Wikidi wrote:Profound. There must be multiple levels of meaning to this statement, but sadly they elude me. You must give lessons to the Telegraph's editor, who will be busy explaining tomorrow why the figures in the report are nonsense.
A person who doesn’t get his/her spelling correct is someone that’s supposed to get educated themselves definitely because after reading your remark and the reply I thought kid you know a lot, now don’t say what’s my mistake it’s obvious.
Again for your petty observations I would advise something especially for you to be beyond a school.
Without education your nothing – keep reading this!
bankhall
says...
11:22pm Wed 3 Feb 10
excaliber
says...
12:21pm Thu 4 Feb 10
Proving that, as I stated, the figures in this report are nonsense. Do I get an apology for my post being deleted?
Funny too how the Telgraph's website doesn't publish the correction.
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samspence says...
9:26am Wed 3 Feb 10