GLASGOW School of Art students took to the streets yesterday morning to attack the world-famous school’s management.
The students say the school is chasing numbers at the expense of the quality of education being offered. A 25 per cent increase in the number of graduates attending has not been met by an increase in facilities or staff, the protesters say, leaving them without desks and access to technicians.
“We’re paying £50 a day for these facilities, and we can’t use them,” said sculpture and environmental art student, Lola Morgan, 21.
Lucy Lamort, 21, also studying sculpture and environmental art said: “They’re not living up to the reputation that they have. I feel like I haven’t learned anything since I’ve been here because there’s not enough space to actually go in and do anything.”
“This is only option we have,” said Sam Gordon, 18, an architecture student. “They’re ignoring us. This is the only thing that’ll get us attention.”
“They’re treating it like a brand rather than a university,” said Jessica Wright, 18, a fellow architect.
A spokesperson for The Glasgow School of Art said: “We encourage our students to be engaged and we have a number of more formal routes than the one chosen for raising concerns and for working constructively with us in both defining and implementing change, which we believe will enhance the student experience.
“Our planned growth in student numbers, which is almost complete, is being met with significant strategic investment in our campus, in our staffing and resources, not least the restoration of the Mackintosh Building and the Stow Building as a new home for the School of Fine Art.”
The school’s director Professor Tom Binns declined to speak to protesters. He had been filmed in front of them for the BBC’s Reporting Scotland, but retreated back into the building as soon as he could.
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