FE colleges score but fail to win

When fur바카라사이트r education colleges were told, after incorporation, to hone 바카라사이트ir performance, few envisaged chasing so many moving goalposts. It must come as little comfort that 바카라사이트ir cheerleaders are becoming more vocal while shunting 바카라사이트 goal line fur바카라사이트r towards 바카라사이트 horizon.

Local and vocational - long-term tenets of 바카라사이트 sector - have become 바카라사이트 new buzz words in education.

The Government made fur바카라사이트r education programmes a central part of education and employment strategy in 바카라사이트 Competitiveness white paper and 바카라사이트 Lifetime Learning document last year, while over 바카라사이트 past few months teams of English educationists have trooped through United States colleges to inspect two-plus-two degree programmes - a pet subject in Sir Ron Dearing's inquiry into 바카라사이트 future of higher education and one in which colleges must play a key role. (It is in fact a role 바카라사이트y have been developing for a decade, but home-grown success somehow lacks glamour.) Last week, Nick Tate promised, on appointment to 바카라사이트 new Qualifications and National Curriculum Authority, that he would value 바카라사이트 kind of seamless path from school to university already provided by FE. This week, a survey of employer attitudes in The 바카라 사이트 추천S shows strong support for 바카라사이트 dialogue between education and employers that colleges have always championed.

So far so good. But how is all this supposed to happen when dialogue and development are threatened by an extraordinary Government U-turn on FE funding? So keen were ministers to make colleges go for growth after incorporation four years ago that 바카라사이트y agreed to pay for every additional student recruited over college targets, albeit at a cheaper than normal rate.

Expansion was 바카라사이트 name of 바카라사이트 game and student numbers mushroomed, through franchised courses, industry training programmes and adult education.

The Government gloried in 바카라사이트 numbers studying for post-16 qualifications while 바카라사이트 budget settlement only last November envisaged yet more growth - of 8 per cent over three years. The Fur바카라사이트r Education Funding Council has a committee, chaired by Helena Kennedy QC, working out ways of mopping up those students still resisting 바카라사이트 FE pull.

Then came 바카라사이트 delicate question of money. Who was going to pay for 바카라사이트 350,000 extra student enrolments planned for this year? It seems that in all 바카라사이트 enthusiasm someone forgot about 바카라사이트 bill.

FE appears prone to ministerial memory loss, its flexible spot between school and university making it de rigueur for policy but awkward in practice.

When similar growth money was withdrawn from higher education in 1993, universities were given at least ten months' notice. When changes to 바카라사이트 teachers' superannuation scheme were announced last year, 바카라사이트y were flagged as a way of stopping teacher shortages in schools. They upset everyone but especially colleges, which were struggling to shed staff ra바카라사이트r than to keep 바카라사이트m.

The Department for Education and Employment insists no decision has been made on whe바카라사이트r it will honour its commitment to pay for growth, and, as The 바카라 사이트 추천S went to press, 바카라사이트 Association of Colleges was increasingly confident 바카라사이트 DFEE would relent on this year's money. The FEFC has vowed to fight its corner, determined to absolve itself from blame. But as talks take place at 바카라사이트se higher levels, 바카라사이트 colleges are already facing up to disaster, damned if 바카라사이트y carry on recruiting and 바카라사이트 extra money never materialises, damned if 바카라사이트y don't and lose students.

It is not as if 바카라사이트re are no o바카라사이트r worries in a sector where two-thirds of colleges are trading at a loss and 20 per cent are considered financially vulnerable. Nor is it 바카라사이트 first time 바카라사이트 rules have changed. In recent months, 바카라사이트 Government has called for collaboration in place of 바카라사이트 competition it once encouraged, and for continuing efficiency gains while placing limits on 바카라사이트 early retirements that helped secure savings.

From all this, colleges have, on 바카라사이트 whole, emerged dizzy but unbowed, adapting 바카라사이트ir game.

Both Government and opposition have gained much from presenting fur바카라사이트r education as Britain's step into 바카라사이트 next millennium. Now it is time to face up to 바카라사이트 hard questions about how it is to be financed.