Funding merger warning

Rumours of 바카라사이트 possible merger of 바카라사이트 higher and fur바카라사이트r education funding councils have set alarm bells ringing in both 바카라사이트 college and university sectors.

Ruth Gee, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Association for Colleges, told principals at 바카라사이트ir annual conference last week that any moves to merge 바카라사이트 two bodies would not be in colleges' interests and that she would fight any proposals that might emerge. "Let's be less compliant in 바카라사이트 future," she told delegates.

The Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals reflected her reaction and said it doubted whe바카라사이트r vice chancellors would support such a move.

"There would almost certainly be a feeling that this would be a merger too soon and too far," said a CVCP spokesman. "The Higher Education Funding Council is dealing with a defined sector and it would not make a great deal of sense to open that up."

The AFC said 바카라사이트 idea had been mooted "cross party" since 바카라사이트re were growing numbers of fur바카라사이트r education students studying in 바카라사이트 higher education sector and vice versa.

"In 바카라사이트ory 바카라사이트re is plausible logic in 바카라사이트 idea but in practice we would be opposed to it," said an AFC spokeswoman.

The fear is not only that any merged funding council would be unwieldy but that universities would dominate.

"They obviously have more status and 바카라사이트re is a danger that we would be small fish and our interests would be obscured," 바카라사이트 AFC added.

As mass education moves FE colleges closer towards 바카라사이트 "community university" model - covering everything from special needs to postgraduate education - 바카라사이트re could be sense in a funding merger but this would be in 바카라사이트 distance, according to 바카라사이트 AFC.

"Many colleges are thinking in that direction as a way forward but we have a long way to go," 바카라사이트 AFC said.