OXFORD lecturers are to vote on boycotting extra work caused by rising student numbers.

The Association of University Teachers (AUT), which represents 850 lecturers at Oxford University, 60 at Oxford Brookes and others at local further education colleges, is to ballot members over Government plans for an extra 500,000 students nationwide by the Millennium.

The lecturers' union fears it will lead to "dumbing down" in higher education, with most of the extra students ending up in further education colleges.

AUT general secretary, David Triesman, said: "We will not accept responsibility for overseeing this kind of under-funded expansion.

"We do not believe it is either good for students, or for the UK, or for the sanity of higher education staff." that we pretend to working class families that this is the real thing."

Oxford University AUT spokesman Kit Bailey said: "There is already stress enough in the system. People are being asked to do more and more work to cover for diminishing resources.

"Oxford academics tend to have to be pushed very hard to take action," said Mr Bailey. "But there is only so much people will take."

He said lecturers were willing to take action over pay last winter, while Oxford College of Further Education staff last year held a no confidence ballot in the college management.

The union will ballot members over boycotting new schemes, offering degree qualifications in further education colleges.

The rise in student numbers is one of the recommendations in Sir Ron Dearing's report on higher education.

The AUT denied that it was being elitist. Mr Triesman said: "There are many good higher education courses in further education but there are many where the standards are unacceptable."

The AUT is also to warn the Government that pay levels are worse in real terms than in 1981, with lecturers falling further behind doctors, teachers, nurses and police.

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