Class dismissed

News that some UK universities are to cut their history degrees in favour of more “vocational” courses sparked a strong online reaction. ANNA WHITELOCK charted Twitter’s response

- ANNA WHITELOCK

“Studying history should not be only for the elite, say academics.” So read the headline of a recent article in The Guardian, as several historians responded to the news that two universities – Aston in Birmingham and London South Bank – would be cutting their history degrees. The institutions have faced government pressure to focus on perceived “high-value” STEM [science, technology, engineering and maths] and vocational courses that typically produce graduates who earn higher salaries. Moreover, with the removal of restrictions on student numbers at British universities, Russell Group institutions at the elite end of the sector are taking on more and more students, leaving some younger universities struggling to recruit.