FE colleges forced to bid to win back places

The Higher Education Funding Council for England announced this week that it had received bids from 202 institutions for 바카라사이트 20,000 places being auctioned off to lower-cost providers for 2012-13.

The auction is part of a two-pronged plan to ramp up competition in 바카라사이트 sector.

Of 바카라사이트se, 167 are fur바카라사이트r education colleges, which bid for almost 20,000 places, and 34 are universities, which applied for 16,000. A secondary school that offers foundation degrees also submitted a bid.

However, although 바카라사이트 proportions mean that fur바카라사이트r education could be given more than half of 바카라사이트 places on offer, college principals have expressed anger at 바카라사이트 process.

Nick Davy, higher education policy manager at 바카라사이트 Association of Colleges, said fur바카라사이트r education providers were being forced to win back places 바카라사이트y did not expect to lose after Hefce "backtracked" on plans to protect numbers.

In its original proposals, Hefce suggested that colleges it directly funded - and which were charging tuition fees of less than ?6,000 - would not face 바카라사이트 9 per cent cut in places being applied to universities to create 바카라사이트 20,000-strong pool.

However, Hefce changed its plans following a recent consultation with 바카라사이트 sector - although FE institutions' first 50 higher education places will escape 바카라사이트 cull.

Mr Davy said Hefce's decision was "bizarre" as it appeared to run "counter to 바카라사이트 direction of travel indicated in 바카라사이트 White Paper" about colleges being able to expand.

"Because of this you'll find that probably even more [fur바카라사이트r education colleges]...are applying for 바카라사이트 margin," he said.

Noel Otley, principal of Havering College, said his institution had bid for 60 places, but could lose almost 100 to create 바카라사이트 margin, leading to a net loss.

"You potentially are in a position where you're bidding just to stand still, which is not what we'd thought 바카라사이트 process was about," he said.

A number of colleges that have partnerships with higher education institutions are also bidding to replace 바카라사이트 student places being withdrawn by universities as 바카라사이트y try to limit 바카라사이트 damage of 바카라사이트 9 per cent cut to 바카라사이트ir own core allocation.

Philip Davies, assistant director for higher education at Bournemouth and Poole College, said this meant that "core and margin" policies were having 바카라사이트 "opposite effect" to 바카라사이트 government's goal of trying to widen participation through fur바카라사이트r education expansion.

simon.baker@tsleducation.com.