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General secretary of University and College Union says coalition is ‘fundamental threat’, undermining work done in further and higher education Education spending cuts put the UK at risk of turning into “yesterday’s country”, the leader of the university lecturers’ union has warned. In a scathing attack on the government, Sally Hunt, the general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU) , says the coalition is a “fundamental threat”, undermining the work done in further and higher education. In a speech to delegates at the UCU’s annual conference in Harrogate, she will say that while all public services are facing cuts, universities and colleges have been “singled out for special treatment”, with spending slashed by 17% over the next two years. UCU represents more than 120,000 academics and other staff. “The cost to our country of this attack on education will be substantial,” Hunt will say, adding: “When you weigh the cost of keeping kids on benefit versus giving them a chance in life, it is ignorance that is the expensive option, not education.” She will tell delegates the UK is at risk of losing its place as a world leader for education. “Since the turn of the century, the UK’s qualification rates have been overtaken by Iceland, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Japan, Ireland, Portugal, the US, Sweden, Denmark and Norway,” she will add. “It is possible that all those countries are wrong to be investing more in education and we are right, but I doubt it. A country equipped with yesterday’s skills will soon become yesterday’s country. “If the legacy the coalition inherited was far from golden, what they have done in this area since May beggars belief. “Last year, UCU showed that the only league table the UK tops is that of the most expensive place to get a public education in the world – and that was before the tripling of university fees and the axing of the education maintenance allowance. “What an indictment of this government that, within six months, they had made it harder to go to college and more expensive to go to university. “They claim their goal is to promote social mobility, but we must judge them by what they do, not what they say. In reality, coalition policy is about putting barriers up, not pulling them down.” The universities and science minister, David Willetts, said: “We agree that education is critical for social mobility and economic growth. That is why we are funding 250,000 more apprenticeships over this parliament, improving careers advice and transforming university finance. “We estimate universities will receive 10% more teaching income by 2014/15. But, crucially, funding will follow the decisions of students so successful universities will thrive.” Higher education Further education Education policy Liberal-Conservative coalition David Willetts Trade unions guardian.co.uk