Provision: Battle over campus nursery
Students and lecturers are campaigning against plans to privatise a university nursery.
More than 2,000 people have signed a petition against Exeter University's decision to outsource the Family Centre, which is run by the university as not-for-profit. Parents are worried that the quality of the nursery, rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted, will fall if it is taken over by a private provider. They are also concerned that fees will rise and they will not have the choice to place their children at the nursery during term time only.
The Family Centre, opened in 1973, has 53 places, with 60 per cent used by university staff and the remainder filled by students' children. The university predicts 100 places are needed.
A spokesman for Exeter University said, 'There are three pressing issues with the Family Centre. It currently occupies a building that is coming to the end of its useful life, the growth of the centre has not kept pace with the growth of the university, and the opening hours are too restrictive.
'We looked seriously in 2002-03 at the idea of building a new Family Centre and put aside £1.5m to do so. When we got estimates, the cost came in at £2.3m and now it would cost well over £3m. That is not sustainable for us. We cannot afford to spend so much money on a nursery which is a useful asset but not a part of the university's core business.'
Student's Guild president Jess Dow said, 'The Family Centre is a brilliant facility. We are understandably concerned that the quality may decrease, but if the university can assure us that the quality will remain, the nursery will be bigger and fees will not go up, then the Student Guild will support the privatisation.'
- Childcare facilities at South Tyneside College are being closed because they are not considered financially viable. The two creches on the college's Hebburn and South Shields sites will close at the end of the year. Jim Bennett, principal and chief executive of the college, said the 'difficult decision' was due to lack of demand.
