Latest news with #studentnumbers


BBC News
8 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
University of the Highlands and Islands student numbers drop
The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) saw its student numbers fall by more than 6,000 students in one academic year, according to Freedom of Information (FOI) figures. UHI is a network of colleges and teaching centres across the Highlands, Islands, Moray and numbers - across all courses - fell from 42,255 in 2022-23 to 36,142 the following academic year. A spokesperson for UHI said the figures reflected broader sector challenges, including demographic shifts, increased competition for students and the impact of the Covid pandemic. The BBC FOI figures show it is not the first time numbers have dropped sharply with a similar fall between 2018/19 and 2019/ remained higher than they were at the peak of the Covid pandemic in 2020/21 when they fell below 33, findings come amid challenges across the university sector in Scotland, with some hitting a crunch point, forcing job losses and facing questions about their has faced funding issues, merging colleges in north Highland, west Highland and the Western Isles in 2023. A spokesperson said the university was seeing "encouraging signs of recovery" after a post-pandemic decline in several high-volume, full-time undergraduate programmes. Growth in graduate apprentices and international education were said to be supporting a return to previous levels. Mike Williamson, from the University and College Union Scotland, said it was vital UHI was made more secure and stable."UHI is currently discussing how it adapts to changing circumstances," he said."UHI has cut staff on several occasions over the past three years."We're in redundancy avoidance talks with the university right now. It's as a direct result of student numbers going down."A spokesperson for the university said it had been investing resources into student recruitment.


BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Norfolk school with 17 pupils to close
A school that had just 17 pupils will not reopen in the new academic declining student numbers means Cantley Primary has been closed by Norfolk County Council and merged with Freethorpe Primary, which is also run by AIM Federation of authority warned falling birth rates both locally and nationally could see more schools affected as funding was linked to student numbers."We have to put the children's education first and we just can't see how Cantley can continue to provide a good education with so few children," said Penny Carpenter, councillor for children's services. "Next year there would have been just one class for children from year 1 to year 6 and that would make delivering a broad curriculum almost impossible."The authority added that the majority of students at Cantley had come from outside the catchment area and there were surplus places at several nearby a consultation on the merger began in May, parents argued they were not being given enough time and the trust had not promoted the school enough. On 11 July, the council discussed school sustainability amid falling numbers at its children, families and community select that, the local authority said it would work with groups of schools to help them prepare "for a future with fewer children".It was suggested schools could reduce admission numbers, change their catchment area, share resources, merge or face closure. David Hopkins, executive head teacher at the AIM Federation of Schools, said: "Our priority as a federation is to ensure that all of our children get the very best education. "Unfortunately, we just don't feel we can deliver a broad enough curriculum with the numbers as they are at Cantley."Freethorpe is a good school and we will spend the last days of term preparing children for their transition and marking the end of an era at Cantley, which has been a much-loved school for so many."This is a sad decision but we believe that amalgamation will give us a stronger, more resilient school community and is in the children's best interests." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.