Press Releases for 2004

GREENS CALL FOR EDUCATION SECRETARY TO SUPPORT WYE COLLEGE FUTURE OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE AT WYE, NEAR ASHFORD

29th December 2004

Ashford Green Party has written to the new Secretary of State for Education, Ruth Kelly, asking that she intervene to support Wye College. A previous attempt to get the Department for Education and Skills to intervene was not successful. Now, by contrast, a there have been a large number of course closures/threats to university departments, around the country. Many of these relate to subjects taught in schools, raising the basic question of how we are to provide natural science, mathematics and language teaching if this decline continues. Steve Dawe comments:

"As someone who works in Higher Education, it is clear to me that a general review of Higher Education is needed or many valuable departments and even whole Universities could disappear. Such a Review could help Wye College, which needs to be merged with neighbouring Higher Education institutions in Canterbury if it is to survive the closure of its key Agricultural Sciences department. The Green Party suggests a general review of Higher Education with the goal of achieving two things: access to HE spread geographically throughout the country in recognition of increasing numbers of students remaining at home and going to the nearest university for cost reasons; institutional mergers both to achieve this first objective and to merge departments which may disappear if they remain separate. Mergers between institutions may also have the benefit of reducing administrative costs. We suggest those concerned also write to Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Education, Department for Education and Skills, Sanctuary Building, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BT." ENDS c272 words

FURTHER INFORMATION: Steve Dawe, on 01233 645167 or 07747 036192. Contact address above. Steve Dawe teaches 3 Open University courses and was Green Party Candidate for Wye in the local elections of 2003.

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