Crumbling universities ‘unfit for purpose’

Oxford's Sheldonian lecture theatre - fit for purpose? Photo Credit: Sacred Destinations/Flickr

The secret is out. UK universities have failed to get pass marks on a crucial criteria—numerous lecture theatres and halls of residence have fallen short of acceptable standards.

However, these reports, revealed by a Guardian freedom of information request, are two years old and the charged universities have vociferously defended themselves claiming that since then major refurbishments have been undertaken.

The Guardian reported that scores of university halls of residences and lecture theatres in the UK were judged “at serious risk of major failure or breakdown” and “unfit for purpose”. The hitherto unreleased information was made public after a legal battle by the newspaper.

Some of the most popular and high-ranking institutions had their facilities condemned in the report. Institutions including the London School of Economics which had 41% of its lecture theatres and classrooms deemed unsuitable for current use, while 12% of Imperial College’s non-residential buildings were branded “inoperable”. At City University, 41% of the student residences were judged “unfit for purpose”.

Predictably, students, especially international ones are less than happy at this news. “We are charged almost thrice of what the home students pay. The residence halls are so expensive that it feels like daylight robbery. And now this report,” fumes Priyanka Salve of City University.

The database reveals that in more than 90% of higher education institutions, at least 10% of buildings have been judged below the “sound and operationally safe” category. One in 10 universities had at least 10% of their estate judged inoperable and at serious risk of breakdown.

The imminent cuts to University funding has seen many an important head blowing their supra-educated top. Ironically it was revealed that the Higher Education Funding Council for England spent up to £50,000 trying to conceal the data from the Guardian, which requested it two and a half years ago.

“Bless the ruling in favour of public interest,” opined another City student. “It is always heartening when the cat is let out of the bag.”