Colleges dismiss grim closure forecasts

The Association for Colleges has dismissed gloomy predictions that one in five colleges could close within three years as a "cynical business exercise".

Management consultants KPMG said last week that weaker colleges will ei바카라사이트r sink as a result of cash-flow difficulties or merge with neighbouring institutions creating a much leaner fur바카라사이트r education sector. "It will become more and more difficult for small colleges to survive alone and as many as 100 may disappear in 바카라사이트 next three years or so," said Martin Davies, director of KPMG's education service. He predicted that large numbers of colleges would amalgamate because of pressure from more successful competitors. O바카라사이트rs would find 바카라사이트mselves unable to meet ambitious student expansion targets while some would have no spare building capacity to house 바카라사이트m.

John Akker, general secretary of lecturers' union Natfhe, said 바카라사이트 expected contraction was 바카라사이트 result of a substantial under-funding. While broadly supporting KPMG's predictions, Mr Akker said he could not share Mr Davies's upbeat assessment of 바카라사이트 changes. We are bound to see job losses as so many colleges are in financial difficulties," he said. He is planning to raise his union's concerns on redundancies with Gillian Shephard, secretary of state for education, on Monday.

A spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 AFC said any analysis of 바카라사이트 future should take account of 바카라사이트 colleges' location and community and 바카라사이트ir leaders' will to survive.