Opposition politicians yesterday attacked Scottish Government proposals to align university provision more closely to the needs of the economy.
Opposition politicians yesterday attacked Scottish Government proposals to align university provision more closely to the needs of the economy.
The criticism came after The Herald revealed the ministerial proposals that the government hopes will help the country cope with the recession, but which some universities and lecturers' unions believe could impinge on academic freedom.
Yesterday, Claire Baker, higher education spokeswoman for Scottish Labour, said: "This move is a very worrying development indeed. This could seriously undermine academic freedom and reduce the ability of universities to provide the freedom of thought and source of innovative thinking that Scotland and our economy needs.
"The Scottish Funding Council was originally created to act as a buffer between ministers and universities because politicians are not best placed to determine what students should be learning at university. These decisions are best left to the professionals and this is even more the case during the economic downturn.
"It is ridiculous to suggest universities in Scotland are being offered a blank cheque. Our universities need significant resources to maintain their positions as world leaders and leaders in the UK."
Margaret Smith, education spokeswoman for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said: "Academic freedom has to be preserved. Rather than governing by ministerial diktat, the government should be sitting down with university principals to discuss the range of courses open to students."
Meanwhile, Joan Stringer, principal of Napier University, said the institution was already deeply committed to the development of skills to make graduates employable.
"We are known for our responsiveness to what employers are looking for in our graduates," she said. "We seek to equip graduates with the confidence and creativity they need to adapt to changes in their lives, including in employment."
The row comes in the wake of a letter, written by Fiona Hyslop, the Education Secretary, to Scottish Funding Council chairman John McClelland.
In the letter, Ms Hyslop said she expected the council to ensure that "new and flexible approaches to curriculum and learning delivery" are provided and that provision is "capable of meeting both the short-term skills needs of the economy and changing demands in the context of a future economic recovery".
University principals, all of whom received a copy of the letter, have so far not spoken publicly about its implications, but The Herald understands that there is growing unrest.
Tony Axon, of UCU Scotland, a union that represents lecturers, said: "We would be very concerned if the funding council started dictating provision, particularly based on economic goals.
"Tailoring courses to suit the needs of the economy is dangerous because it is so a fickle. Six months ago, training people to work in financial services would have seemed like a good idea."
However, Ms Hyslop said there was no danger to academic freedom. "All bodies which receive public funding will be expected to align themselves with the priorities of the government to make sure they are working together for the common good, which is particularly important at this time," she said. "Taxpayers would not expect us to provide a blank cheque to universities without universities contributing to the national goals of the country."
