Education crisis: 6,000 jobs slashed and over 100,000 students affected as recession hits education

The union warned that the figures may just be the tip of the iceberg as many institutions are failing to consult with the union properly and every day brings another story of job cuts.

The report reveals that in total across the UK 5,891 jobs are at risk or being cut with 4,593 in higher education and 1,298 in further education. Over a third of those jobs (2,165) will be lost in the capital and over 100,000 students will be affected.

The cuts will hit the full range of UK institutions, from Russell Group universities like the University of Sheffield (340 jobs at risk) to universities with strong widening participation records like London Metropolitan University (550), to flagship large further education colleges such as Newcastle College (68) and important community colleges like City College Birmingham (76).

London is the worst hit region, but other areas of the country are also hit badly. Universities in Yorkshire seem particularly badly hit with 340 jobs at risk at the University of Sheffield, 100 at York University and 187 at Leeds University. Adding to concerns in the region is the news that Leeds Metropolitan University is due to announce redundancy plans in the near future, despite rising student applications and its intention to charge the full tuition fee.

Under fire Reading University is the main offender in the union's Southern region with another 160 jobs at risk as part of a drive to save £10m. The news comes on the back of the institution's controversial decision to close its School of Health and Social Care earlier this year, with the loss of 15 jobs. More on the Reading cuts from earlier this year can be found at University of Reading slammed over closure of school of health and social care 

The North East has been hit particularly hard by cuts in funding for the Train2Gain project. Three colleges - Newcastle College (68 jobs), Northumberland College (33 jobs) and Tyne Met College (45 jobs) – all cite funding cuts as the reason behind the loss of 150 jobs between them. Both the University of Stirling and Strathclyde University in Scotland are seeking 140 job losses across the board.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'We have been warning for months of the potential damage unnecessary and swingeing cuts would do to post-16 education. These figures offer a worrying snapshot of what is happening in the capital's universities and colleges, even more worrying is the fact that many institutions have not set out their plans as yet.

'Universities and colleges need to understand that our members will not sit idly by while their jobs or those of colleagues are axed. All institutions that are considering slashing jobs need to make a clear, transparent case for the losses and start speaking to us immediately.

'In difficult economic times we need to be doing everything we can to help education and the countless potential students who see education as a vital lifeline to improve skills and their opportunities of finding work. The government may have said it would not let education become a victim of the recession, but those warm words look rather hollow when put up against the hard facts.'

The full figures can be found here:  Universities and colleges cutting education jobs in a recession, Jul 09 [243kb] 

See also: The education crisis and the recession in London, Jul 09 [184kb]

Key figures:

• Total jobs = 5,891
• Further education = 1,298
• Higher education = 4,593
• Jobs at risk in London = 2,165
• London further education = 132
• London higher education = 2,033
• 106,038 students affected - based on student:staff ratio of 18:1 (conservative estimate as SSR higher in further education)