University Trouble...

Photo by me (Independent cover)
Edge Hill has now confirmed that it has scrapped its NCTJ accredited Journalism course after current students noticed it was missing from the university's website.

First years will be pleased to know that the course will continue to run but lectures will be taken by temporary lecturers.

And things aren't looking too good up and down the rest of the country when it comes to universities. Funding for more than 100 universities has been cut by a total of £573m in the first wave of public spending cuts. 6,000 fewer students will be accepted into university this September even though applications have rise by 23 per cent.

Reading through the Independent's coverage of the news, one quote jumped out at me. Sally Hunt, the general secretary of the University and College Union, said: "The Government is abandoning a generation who, instead of benefiting from education, will find themselves on the dole alongside sacked lecturers."

And she has a point. Maybe my previous post, "Is there a future for Journalism?" should have been titled "Is there a future for Universities?".

Thank God my parents conceived me when they did (something I hope to never have to think of again) otherwise I may be one of those 220,000 students without a university place in September. And thank God that, with the help of my sixth form tutors, I managed to achieve the grades I did. If I hadn't I may have ended up in my second choice university, Edge Hill, as one of those first year students with no opportunity to resit if they don't get the grades they hoped for.

What makes me laugh the most is how universities are being fined for accepting too many students last September. Yes, that's right Government, cut their funding and then fine them for even more money - brilliant!

This post was created by Emma Rigby. You can contact Emma on erigby@uclan.ac.uk