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The finding that 28 per cent of UK university lecturers are over 50 is used to imply that we are an ageing profession ("No way to treat valuable citizens", THES , June 7). But if the standard university career runs from 25 to 65, then the over-50s may be 28 per cent of the labour force while covering about 38 per cent of its age span. They are under rather than over-represented.

Jennifer Platt
Professor of sociology
University of Sussex