The SNP are ignoring concerns from some of Scotland’s top academics on the Higher Education Bill, the Scottish Conservatives said today.
At today’s education committee, academics from some of the country’s leading universities put on record their strong worries about the dangers of the controversial new bill. Senior staff gave clear examples of the financial problems which would result from reclassifying universities as public bodies; something Universities Scotland believes could be to the tune of £1 billion.
In a letter, Alastair Sim of Universities Scotland, provided a detailed breakdown of the likely financial damage to the sector and also issued the accompanying independent legal advice which confirms that reclassification would pose "a significant risk".
The academics also voiced their concerns about how state meddling would damage some aspects of democratic accountability, which has improved substantially over recent decades.
Professor Tim O'Shea, principal, University of Edinburgh said: “The perception around the world is that the bill would damage the anonymity of our universities.”
Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, president, Royal Society of Edinburgh added: “We are particularly concerned about this legislation. It gives powers not only to SNP ministers but to any ministers in the future. It gives ministers scrutiny over universities and is our biggest threat to governance.”
Scottish Conservative young people spokeswoman Liz Smith said:
“If anyone was in any doubt before today about the dangers of this bill, then they will certainly know now. These are very serious warnings about governance and state meddling, which no government can afford to ignore.
“Universities Scotland made it abundantly clear just how much the bill would damage the sector.
“The breakdown of the financial implications for research, for universities' borrowing, capital spending and philanthropy suggest that upwards of £1 billion could be lost across the sector. This is completely unacceptable and it is why university principals are so worried about the effect on their individual institutions.
“This legislation could have enormous damage both at home and abroad for the reputation of our university sector and the SNP can no longer ignore these wide-ranging concerns.
“The Scottish Government has produced no supporting material about the likely financial costs involved. It’s time for some answers before the bill is simply pushed through without any thought.”