13 MAY 1995, Page 31

Education cuts

Sir: Simon Jenkins (Centre point, 29 April) is not exaggerating about the institutions' pragmatic response to the imposition of meaningless 'indicators'. A friend, applying to retire in December from a university department after a long lecturing/publica- tion career, was asked to stay on to the end of the academic year so that the depart- ment could credit itself with the 'points' that he represented and qualify for a larger government handout. When he demurred, the department head explained that he wouldn't have to attend at all — it simply made better financial sense for the univer- sity to continue to pay him. He is now hap- pily planning a world tour with his wife on a full salary.

Jill Goulder

14 Buckmaster Road, London SW11