However, a poll by the Association of University Teachers found four out of five people opposed the change.

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The drop-out rates have also divided lecturers and university chiefs, with the Association of University Teachers describing the highest drop-out rates as "astronomical" and a waste of public funds.

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The Association of University Teachers (AUT) believes that cuts being considered by the school of medicine at Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London will damage the quality of teaching.

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Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, warned that the government's promotion of university technical colleges could push young people into "irrevocable" choices at the age of 14.

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Representatives from NUS Wales, the University and College Union, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers and the Association for College Management were present to give evidence to the committee.

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Four others who took industrial action in June - the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, the National Union of Teachers, the Public and Commercial Services Union and University and College Union - do not need to hold another ballot if they want to strike.

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The five unions involved were Members of University College Union (UCU), the National Union of Teachers (NUT), the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS).

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