At least 40,000 new university teachers will be required if the government is to successfully meet its 50 per cent participation target for higher education, claim the Association of University Teachers.

Forum Response: Association of University Teachers

Sally Hunt, assistant general secretary, told ePolitix.com: "There is a real crisis emerging in higher education. Universities have become the forgotten arm of the public sector. Academics and university staff are committed to widening access and achieving the 50 per cent target but we cannot do it alone. Unless the Treasury is willing to invest more money in higher education then they will be putting the government's expansion target in jeopardy.

"More than a third of university teaching staff are already aged 50-plus, and in shortage areas like engineering and physics the situation is much worse. Our estimates suggest that 4,000 new lecturers must be recruited each year. Ministers must take urgent action to make university teaching a more attractive and rewarding career choice."

Forum Response: Universities UK

Diana Warwick, chief executive of Universities UK, told ePolitix.com: "Universities UK recognises that extra staff will need to be recruited if the government is to meet its widening participation target. Indeed the continued success of UK universities depends crucially on their ability to recruit, retain and motivate sufficient staff of the right quality to sustain teaching standards, whilst widening access, and to stay at the leading edge of world class research.

"Universities UK's submission to the government's 2002 Spending Review has identified human resource investment needs as a priority. Universities continue to make notable progress in addressing staff issues, but we recognise that much remains to be done in this area, and this is dependent on further significant investment."