14 January 2000
A survey for the university and college lecturers' union Natfhe, shows that Britain's best-funded universities are receiving three times the teaching income of the least well-funded.
Teaching income received per student varies from £33,448 at the London Business School to just £3,271 at the University of Luton.
Old-established universities received 50% more teaching income than new universities in 1997/98, in spite of a uniform £1,025 tuition fee per student.
The union claims that student drop-out rates, over which there was recent debate, are strongly linked to a university's level of funding.
'There would be a national outcry if a similar level of disparity existed in the funding of state secondary schools,' said Tom Wilson, head of Natfhe's universities department.
'Students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds are being taught in the least well-funded institutions. Government targets for improving social inclusion and increasing access to higher education will not be met while such widespread inequality exists.'
PFjan2000
