I SHOULD like to comment about the recent student action at Bury College's Stand Centre.

Our students did indeed stage a protest. Their protest was, however, against the underfunding of the Further Education sector nationally, and not against Bury College and its staff.

Your article claimed that staff were leaving "in droves". Obviously, staff move on every year - as they do from every organisation - though we actually have fewer leaving this year than in any of the previous three. The staff who are moving on are doing so either because they have taken up posts elsewhere, or because they are taking advantage of the current pension benefits which will either disappear or change adversely after September.

Although Bury College is facing budget cuts of half a per cent on the previous year's allocation this is in line with reductions faced by 86 per cent of colleges across the country.

Bury College is a thriving, successful and high achieving college. This fact is noted by government inspectors who graded the college as one of the top colleges nationwide. Every year, more than 1000 students apply for the 500 A level places on offer at the Stand Centre, and more than 85 per cent of students from Stand progress to university.

HELEN GILCHRIST,

principal, Bury College.

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