Natfhe demands investigation

Lecturers' union Natfhe has called on education secretary David Blunkett to investigate The THES's revelations that Derby University admitted students to degree courses in Israel without agreed minimum entry requirements.

The union has submitted a dossier of claims against Derby, calling for a independent investigation. Natfhe called on Derby chair of governors Alan Woods to set up an internal inquiry last year, but he has failed to do so.

Nathfe says its has documents which support The THES's report in June 1999 that the university breached its agreement with the Israeli regulating authority by accepting students to its degree courses without the agreed minimum entry requirement, the Bagrut, for financial reasons.

Derby academic Mark Challinor complained internally that the agreement he set up was being breached, and that under-qualified students were being accepted to Derby business degrees. He has since been made redundant, and Natfhe is supporting a claim against the university under the Public Interest Disclosure Act, claiming victimisation for whistleblowing.