More government cash for universities and colleges

UNIVERSITIES AND colleges are to receive an extra £20 million of funding, the Scottish government has announced.

The package will be split evenly between the higher education and further education sectors.

Fiona Hyslop, cabinet secretary for education and lifelong learning, said: "Colleges and universities are at the heart of our drive to build a smarter, more prosperous Scotland.

"That's why, even though we are working within an extremely tight financial settlement, I am pleased to be able to announce a package of measures to support our higher and further education sectors."

Hyslop said universities would receive £10m to assist them and colleges will get £10m to allow them to invest in key areas "such as supporting young people who need more choices and more chances; articulation; and innovative approaches to learning delivery".

The announcement comes after a funding settlement that higher and further education principals have criticised.

Before the SNP's first Budget last year university leaders said the sector needed a £168m increase to keep Scottish institutions competitive with their English counterparts, who can charge students fees. But they received £30m, which was blamed on a tight settlement from Westminster.

Last month the principal of Dundee University, Sir Alan Langlands, said his institution would have to lose jobs because of the financial climate.

Strathclyde University is reviewing its situation. Last year it said it would lose 250 jobs, but postponed its decision until after the Budget. In response to the sector's concerns a taskforce was set up, and in January the government released an extra £10m of revenue funding for universities.

Education groups welcomed yesterday's announcement.

Sir Muir Russell, convener of Universities Scotland said: "This goes a very long way to addressing the cost pressures the university sector will face in 2008-09."

But opposition politicians criticised the government's "ad hoc" and "piecemeal" approach.

Murdo Fraser, the Scottish Conservative education spokesman, said: "This extra cash will not go anywhere near enough to filling the gap the universities believe needs to be completed in order to prevent them falling behind better-funded institutions south of the border."


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