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 Social sciences lecturer Richard Kirkwood |
Lecturer, 65, told: ‘Get a business plan or retire’
Students organise petition to save job of an ‘inspirational’ teacher
STUDENTS have launched a petition to save a popular university lecturer who is being forced to retire at 65 unless he can come up with a “viable business plan” to justify his job.
Social sciences lecturer Richard Kirkwood is desperate to stay on at London Metropolitan University, but has been told he has to retire.
More than 300 students have signed a petition calling on the university not to force the sociology and politics lecturer to leave.
Mr Kirkwood, who counts Islington North Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn among his former students, is due to retire in September after working at the university’s Ladbroke House Highbury annex for almost 40 years.
He admits he would be on a reasonable pension of about half his salary and would probably find part-time work, but he enjoys teaching at the Met.
The university has told him he has got to go unless he can produce a “viable business reason” to be kept on. For example, many of his colleagues are able to bring in valuable research work.
The petition organised by students calls on university vice-chancellor Brian Roper to allow this “inspirational” teacher to stay.
Mr Kirkwood, who is married with two children and lives in Stoke Newington, said: “I want to continue teaching because I enjoy it. I particularly like the interaction with the mainly mature, ethnically diverse students in my classes.
“I think I’m good at it, so do my colleagues and so, obviously from this petition, do the students. I would have thought that makes me a viable proposition.”
The petition, spontaneously organised by students, describes Mr Kirkwood as “an inspirational, motivational and excellent lecturer”.
It reads: “This university should not be voided and cleansed of older lecturers who have reached the ‘forbidden age’ of 65. Instead, we should all be proud and inspired to have a lecturer of his magnitude in our midst.”
Mr Kirkwood joined the college aged 25, when it was part of North Western Polytechnic.
He added: “I knew students liked my teaching, but I was surprised by the numbers who signed the petition. I teach on quite small courses so nearly all the current students I have taught in any class must have signed. It’s nice to know my efforts are so widely appreciated”.
Despite the petition, Mr Kirkwood’s initial request to continue working has been turned down. He is now appealing to the vice-chancellor.
Students who organised the petition hope to explain to Mr Roper why they consider their lecturer should stay.
University and College Union equality official Kate Heasman said: “Richard’s case demonstrates very well why universities and colleges would be better off abandoning a default retirement age altogether.
“The stereotypical view that workers are no longer able to contribute much after they are 65 is clearly nonsense in a case notable for the glowing admiration of the students taught by Richard, and his own desire to continue teaching because of his love for the work.”
Mr Corbyn, a student in the late 1960s, said he remembered Mr Kirkwood as a first-class tutor. “Government policy is that people shouldn’t have to retire at 65 if they do not want to,” he added.
“Richard has proved he is a truly good and inspirational tutor and and should be allowed to stay with the university.”
A spokeswoman for the vice-chancellor’s office said the university had no comment. |
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