Skills Minister Matthew Hancock has announced £214 million of investment in 47 colleges across the country, along with stronger action to support the majority of good and outstanding colleges, and new plans to intervene where colleges are failing learners.
“It is wholly unacceptable that nearly one and half million learners are not receiving teaching that is rated as ’Good’,” Mr Hancock said.
“Where colleges are failing learners we will be knocking on their doors and take swift and effective action.
“It is a dereliction of duty to let failing colleges teach young people. We will not fail in our duty to act. All providers should meet tough standards of rigour and responsiveness.”
The
Institute for Learning(
IfL), the independent professional body for teachers, tutors, trainers and student teachers in the further education (FE) and skills sector, has backed the proposals.
“
IfLwholeheartedly supports the view that every learner should expect to receive high-quality training and education and that all colleges and providers should be supported to become outstanding, as many of the best already are,” said Dr Jean Kelly,
IfL’s director of professional development.
“The government’s proposed initiatives to raise standards begin with the premise that high-quality teaching and learning is at the core of a successful training system.
“It is good to see the influence of
IfL’s extensive research and development work in support of the Commission on Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning reflected in the government’s report, which refers to the need to develop the dual professionalism of teachers and trainers; and to ensure that industry standard facilities and resources are used to support adult vocational teaching and learning.
“The extra capital funding announced today will help a number of colleges to ensure that they have up to date facilities in a range of disciplines that can support economic growth.”
Ofsted currently judges two-thirds of colleges to be ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’, but 4% are inadequate.
A new FE Commissioner will protect learners by intervening as soon as a college falls in to the inadequate category or fails financially and will report directly to ministers advising on a number of potential interventions including the replacement of some or all of the governing body; and college dissolution.
There will also be a new ‘Administered College’ status, in which colleges will lose freedoms to take actions such as staff changes, expenditure or transfer of assets