The Higher Education system is like a first-class, high-performing car that is running out of petrol and requires an immediate injection of funding and resources, IFUT said today in a message to all political parties and candidates in the General Election.

IFUT General Secretary, Mike Jennings, said that staff numbers in Higher Education are down well over 1,000 in two years while student numbers have increased by at least 10,000. In addition, state funding of the sector is down by 14.8% in the past two years alone: only Latvia has a worse record.

IFUT is not aligned to any political party but is urging its members to highlight the needs of the education system and to counteract misrepresentations of the people who work hard in the sector.

“IFUT will be pressing strongly for a commitment to adequate funding and facilities for Higher Education in the interests of our society and economy in any new Programme for Government following the General Election,” Mike Jennings said.

 

The IFUT Media Release is available here.