Ɖ Gardịn vy on yṇvrṣticuts: jeṗdîzñ a preśs heṛtij
(Transcription of a Guardian editorial of 11 Nov. 2022)
Pṛpozd joblosz at Brbec, Yṇvrṣti v Lundn r part v a patn ɖt z a dșrvis t a prǎd tṛdiśn
Frîde 11 Nvmbr 2022
Fǎndd az ɖ Lundn Mcanics’ Insttyt in 1823, Brbec – ẃć sins 1920 hz bn part v ɖ Yṇvrṣti v Lundn – b’loñz t a rić tṛdiśn v ẃć Britn śd b prǎd. Prisidd bî tū yirz bî ɖ pạniyrñ Scūl v Arts v Ednbra (nǎ Herịt-Wot Yṇvrṣti), Brbec’s miśn wz t xtnd ɖ Inlîtnmnt t wrcñ ppl. Dr Jorj Brbec gev lecćrz t crafts ppl, bt ɖ ny coḷjz wr nt liṃtd t tecnicl edyceśn. Ɖe olso tòt arts, sayns n f’loṣfi. Brbec admitd wimin decedz bfr ɖ yṇvrṣtiz v Oxḟd n Cembrij.
Ɖt preśs leġsi z nǎ in jeṗdi. Sáitñ fînanśl preśrz, ɖ colij’z bosz pṛpoz t cut p t a qortr v ol tīćñstāf fṛm dpartmnts includñ Ñgliś n jiogṛfi, plus p t a ʈrd v admiṇstretrz. Ɖ patn z biyñ mirrd elsẃr. Yṇvrṣtiz ɖt wr cmitd t leṿlñ p loñ bfr it bcem a Cnsrṿtiv sǎndbît hv śut or śrunc corsz ɖt d’nt fit ɖ guvnmnt’s narowñ ajnda.
Ɖz coḷjz r ɖ plesz wɖ ɖ longist tṛdiśnz v tīćñ wrcñclas men n wimin, ofn part-tîm n in ɖ īvnñz, smtmz az mtyr stydnts rtrnñ t edyceśn yirz aftr līvñ scūl. Wlṿhamtn, Rohamtn n Aḅristwiʈ r amñ uɖrz wɖ similr rūts. At a tîm ẃn ministrz r ostnsbli cmitd t rīdistribytñ oṗtyṇtiz twdz ppl n eriaz ɖt hv tṛdiśṇli hd fywr, it z pvrs ɖt ɖz cndz v insttyśnz r suḟrñ. Blǒtd saḷriz (Brbec’s mastr, Devid Laćmn, ŕnd £380,000 in 2020) mc dsiźnz t impoz cuts īvn les paḷtbl.
Sṗsifcs me vẹri bt, jenṛli, corscloźrz r blemd on deḟsits cmbînd wɖ fōlñ dmand. Ɖs foloud ɖ dsiźn in 2016 t lift caps on stydntnumbrz, ẃć frìd ɖ most prestijs yṇvrṣtiz t rcrūt mor, bt mnt plesz elsẃr wnt unfild. It wz a crūd meźr dzînd t incris marcitpreśrz on an olrdi frajîl sectr. Az wel az ongwñ iśuz wɖ unḍfundñ, yṇvrṣtiz wr hit hard bî Brexit, ẃć cntinyz t afct rsrć, admiśnz n rcrūtmnt.
Hayr n frɖr edyceśn hv a vîtl rǒl t ple in adresñ cronic scilśorṭjz, ptiklrli in hlʈ n cer. Bt yṇvrṣtiz mcñ cuts tù ofn apir t lac eni stṛtījic viźn or sns v acǎntbiḷti t stāf, stydnts n wîdr ssayti. Unḍmainñ ɖ hymaṇtiz z nt a substtyt fr wrcfors planñ, or a stiḿḷs t iṇveśn. Gvn ɖ unqsćṇbl importns v culćr n crịtivti t ɖ icoṇmi, it z mor lîcli t dampn groʈ – ẃl incrisñ poḷrîześn, az yuñ ppl fṛm betr-of bacgrǎndz hold on t ćansz ɖt r dnaid t uɖrz.
Dr Brbec n hiz fri-ʈncñ s’portrz wr rît. Axes t nolij z a sośl gd. Ɖ formr mcanics’ insttyts śd b ćeriśt. Ɖt dz’nt mīn prizrvñ ɖm in aspic. It dz mīn mcñ loñ-trm planz ɖt cn stand p t scrūṭni. Cuṛntli, ɖ stywdśp bî bʈ ministrz n manijrz lcs far tù scrapi.
