As the five sacked academics from London Guildhall University referred to in The THES (November 8), we wish to focus on the contradiction of sacking teachers when more students are entering higher education. This can only lead to lower standards or higher failure rates and worse conditions for those remaining.
Compulsory redundancies are being imposed on top of voluntary severance schemes and can only compound the problem of falling standards, failure and worsening conditions.
A university cannot be run like a business and the use of outside consultants like Coopers and Lybrand is inappropriate. The industrial sector is increasingly abandoning compulsory redundancy because of its negative impact.
Compulsory redundancy is designed to foster a climate of terror which is wholly incompatible with education, academic freedom and moral values. Those whose faces do not fit are likely targets. In our cases, we are all senior lecturers, one of whom cannot be named, and are active in the union; two are black and the other three are or have been union representatives. An attack on those who staff the education service is to the detriment of the student body and thus society. We will therefore not accept redundancy.
Pat Brady Social and economic studies Justina Henderson Economics David Lane Mathematics Geraldine Thorpe Social and economic studies London Guildhall University