157 Group believes there are tough times ahead for FE
20th October 2010
157 Group believes there are tough times ahead for FE
The spending review announcements made today for the Department for Education and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills signal a very difficult few years ahead for further education students.
Lynne Sedgmore CBE, executive director of the 157 Group, said, "Colleges will have to work hard to minimise the effect of the cuts on learners and, despite a couple of positive surprises in the review, it will just not be possible to protect the front line."
"We welcome the introduction of income-contingent student loans in further education, akin to those available in higher education. In relation to 16 to 19-year-olds, it is good news that the government is planning for an increase in participation, although wrong to assume that this will make greater efficiencies possible. Those learners who do not currently stay on in education will require different and usually more expensive provision than traditional learners. We believe that greater efficiencies could be made in the 16-19 phase if the government tackled the anomaly of small sixth forms or asked the Young People's Learning Agency to fund school provision at the same rate as colleges. We hope that it will have the courage to do so."
Frank McLoughlin, chair of the 157 Group and principal of City and Islington College said, "We are also concerned that policies to address educational inequality appear to ignore the 16-19 phase. Announcements about the pupil premium focus on those aged between two and 16 and learners aged 19 and over. This is ignoring the critical period in which many vulnerable learners drop out.
"In particular, we feel that problems with educational equality will be worsened by the abolition of education maintenance allowances (EMAs), which we know were effective in increasing participation from some of the poorest families. We believe that allowing colleges to use local discretion to support those in hardship is the best way of managing limited funds. Current learner support allocations are not, however, adequate to replace half a billion pounds of EMA payments. We hope that the budgets set aside to replace EMAs are sufficient for the response needed."
The 157 Group welcomes the safeguarding of budgets for basic skills and adult and community learning. It is concerned, however, about the withdrawal of the entitlement to free tuition for a first level 2 qualification, a first step on the ladder of employability for many people. It is also likely that for level 3 qualifications, many learners will be put off prospective study by having to shoulder most or all of the cost of their courses and the fear of debt.
Mr McLoughin said, "Overall, our colleges will have some difficult decisions to make in the wake of the spending review."
