Students today blamed market forces in education for the proposed closure of a history degree programme at Middlesex University.

In a letter to the Vice Chancellor, the National Union of Students (NUS) claimed that the introduction of market forces in higher education through the introduction of variable tuition fees sees universities making decisions ‘based on cost rather than the needs of their students and the wider community as a whole.’

The Union also criticised the institution for shutting down a course with a big focus on black and African history at a time when ‘a deeper understanding of different cultures is more important than ever’. Pav Akthar, NUS Black Students’ Officer, said: “It doesn’t seem to make sense for a university to stop a course which delivers into different cultures and which is popular amongst potential students. We urge the university to reconsider their decision.”

NUS this year launched a national campaign against course closures which are on the increase across the UK. Campaign convenor Julian Nicholds commented: ““The closing of courses runs contrary to the aim of widening access to education that the government claims to be committed to. Considering the increasing trend of students staying at home to study, cuts in local provision could raise a question mark over whether the government can realistically achieve its target of getting half of all young people entering Higher Education across the UK.”

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