Memorandum submitted by the Association
of Colleges (AoC)
1. The DCSF and 16-19-year-olds
The Department for Children, Schools and Families
(DCSF) is responsible for the education of all young people aged
0-19.
The division of the Department for Education
and Skills (DfES) has allowed DCSF to focus on issues in schools
and children's services but there is a possibility that some important
issues in the education and training of young people aged 14-19
might be receiving less attention than they merit.
Colleges are the leading institutions in the
education and training of this age group as the following figures
illustrate:
— 727,000 16-18-year-olds study in
colleges (compared to 447,000 in school sixth forms).
— 50% of all 16-19-year-olds in education
or training are studying in colleges.
— 120,000 14-16-year-olds choose to
study vocational courses in colleges.
— Colleges deliver one-third of A-levels.
— 64% of 16-18-year-olds in receipt
of an Education Maintenance Allowance study in colleges.
— 50% of college funding is for their
16-19 provision therefore DCSF is as important to the FE sector
as the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
2. The Children's Plan
The Plan covers all areas of Department of Children,
Schools and Families (DCSF)'s work, from a child's first year
to their 19th year.
The Plan summarises various initiatives relating
to 16-19-year-olds (for example the Diploma or youth strategy)
but fails to mention various significant initiatives for 16-19-year-olds
launched by the DfES in recent years. For example:
— there is no mention of the policies
to stimulate competition in 16-18 education (16-19 competitions
or the school sixth form presumption)
— no mention of strategies to raise
quality (for example the quality improvement strategy or minimum
levels of performance); and
— no mention of the common funding
system for 16-18-year-olds being introduced in 2008-09.
Possible question to the Secretary of State:
— Is he committed to the policies
and initiatives launched by the Department for Education and Skills
(DfES) before June 2007 or the systems operated by the Learning
and Skills Council? Is the Department starting from a blank piece
of paper in post-16 provision?
3. The Diploma
The Diploma has been described by Ministers
as the biggest education revolution since the second world war.
AoC supports the development of the Diplomas
as an opportunity for the value of skills, technical expertise
and sector competence to be recognised as equally valuable as
traditional routes such as A-levels and Apprenticeships. We were
pleased to the see the Secretary of State further widen the Diploma
offer to include science, languages and humanities and the announcement
before Christmas of the UCAS value of the Diploma. Colleges are
heavily involved in the consortia which will be delivering the
Diploma. We see Diplomas as offering an alternative route through
which young people can mature between the ages of 14 and 19 however,
we believe that the present set of qualifications should remain
in place until the first set of learners has progressed through
the system.
To achieve success it will be crucial for young
people to identify with the Diplomas and that the same career
paths and progression routes are open to those young people taking
the Diploma as are currently available for other qualifications.
It is especially important that higher education and employers
provide overt and positive commitment. Next steps include staff
training and development to ensure the consortia are confident
in their ability to manage and deliver the new qualifications.
Potential questions to the Secretary of State:
— Is he confident that the encouragement
of competition between education and training providers of 16-18-year-olds
is compatible with the need for schools and colleges to work together
to provide the Diploma?
— What financial assistance will be
offered to 14-19 partnerships in particular for capital projects?
4. Machinery of Government changes and transfer
to local authorities of funding for 16-19 education (DCSF /DIUS
responsibility)
The plan to route all funding for 16-19 education
via local authorities by 2010 is a technical change with wide
ramifications. The two Secretaries of State (for DCSF and DIUS)
set out some principles for the changes in a letter circulated
in November 2007. They will be publishing a consultation paper
in Spring 2008 and there will be legislation in Autumn 2008.
AoC welcomes the emphasis in the November letter
on respecting learner choice, on maintaining national entitlements
and on acting to minimise bureaucracy but we are concerned that
the reform could make it more difficult for colleges and schools
to meet the needs of young people. Our particular concerns are:
— Young people often cross local authority
boundaries to study (more than 50% do so in London). This could
result in some logistical confusion about whom is responsible
for what.
— There is a risk that the new system
will involve a longer delivery chain from the Minister to the
young person at a time when the Government should be focusing
on cutting management and administrative costs.
— Different Departments are now responsible
for 16-18 education and apprenticeships. This could make services
for young people less coherent.
— Uncertainty about the impact of the
reforms could reduce the confidence of institutions about longer-term
plans.
The Prime Minister added a further twist in
a speech to the CBI on 26 November:
"In the old world you had colleges for everything
that happened after school. Now we need a new focus on 16-19-year-olds
in sixth form centres—and a similar focus on community colleges
with state of the art training facilities that increasingly specialise
in adult vocational excellence."
http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page13851.asp
Potential questions to the Secretary of State:
— What is the Secretary of State's
vision for the future of 16-18 education? Does he envisage an
end to distinct college/school post-16 provision?
— What level of bureaucracy currently
managed by the Learning and Skills Council does he envisage transferring
to local authorities to provide education and training to 16-18-year-olds?
5. Education and Skills Bill
The Education and Skills Bill is a major piece
of legislation with more than 150 clauses which covers the raising
of the participation age, changes to careers guidance for young
people and the changes to the regulation of private schools.
AoC strongly supports the key proposal which
is to ensure all young people continue in education and training
until they are 18. Colleges will be the essential component to
the success of this policy. To ensure success, we believe that
the following issues need to be taken into account:
— Public funding needs to be available
to develop programmes for those who are currently completely outside
the system.
— The education and training needs
to meet acceptable quality standards and be delivered flexibly.
— Young people will need financial
support, for example through Education Maintenance Allowances.
— Good advice and guidance is needed
about the options available—AoC welcomes the clause in the
bill to make this a requirement.
Potential questions to the Secretary of State:
— Is he satisfied that local authorities
have the necessary IT systems to ensure they can accurately monitor
the level of participation in education and training among 16-18-year-olds?
— Affordable and convenient transport
for 16-18-year-olds is vital for the success of this policy and
of the Diploma. Is he satisfied that local authorities, particularly
in rural areas, will provide such transport to ensure all young
people can participate in education and training of their choice?
January 2008
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