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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