Government university funding plans are a 'slap in the face' for beleaguered sector

UCU today accused the government of delivering another 'slap in the face' to the higher education sector and warned that UK universities risked falling behind on the world stage, after the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) published new details for university funding for 2011-2012.

Universities are still reeling from the 80% cut to their teaching budgets starting from 2012, announced in the comprehensive spending review (CSR). Now as part of the £1.8 billion cuts previously announced universities are set to lose £190million between April and July this year as teaching and research budgets are slashed.

The union said the government was in complete denial if it believed the higher education sector could deliver more for less, and said its strategy looked even more ridiculous when put alongside the increased spending in other developed and developing countries.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'This is yet another slap in the face for a sector already reeling from huge cuts to its funding. The government is in complete denial if thinks that UK universities can deliver more for less.

'This perverse logic needs to be put in its place once and for all. At a time when both developed and developing countries are investing in their higher education systems in order to compete in the global knowledge economy our government seems intent on doing the opposite. There is a very real danger that we are going to be left behind.'

• The full funding allocation from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)