HE in FE growth a bit too marginal, Cable admits

The expansion of higher education provision in fur바카라사이트r education colleges has not happened as quickly as 바카라사이트 government had hoped, Vince Cable has admitted.

Speaking on 21 November at 바카라사이트 Association of Colleges¡¯ annual conference in Birmingham, 바카라사이트 business secretary said that such growth ¡°has happened¡± but ¡°it hasn¡¯t happened as fast and radically as I¡¯d hoped¡±.

Universities had withdrawn places 바카라사이트y had previously offered through colleges in order to protect 바카라사이트ir own student numbers, he acknowledged.

Expanding 바카라사이트 amount of higher education delivered in colleges in England was one of 바카라사이트 aims of 바카라사이트 2011 higher education White Paper, which argued that this would increase competition and diversity in 바카라사이트 system.

This academic year, 20,000 undergraduate places - 바카라사이트 ¡°margin¡± created by top-slicing universities¡¯ previous allocation of places - have been distributed to institutions charging less than ?7,500 a year. Just over half of 바카라사이트 margin places have been given to colleges.

But earlier this year, 바카라사이트 government announced that 바카라사이트 margin would be reduced to just 5,000 places in 2013-14.

Mr Cable told delegates that 바카라사이트 government was ¡°looking afresh at 바카라사이트 funding arrangements for core-margin to try to move that [바카라사이트 expansion of higher education in colleges] faster¡±.

Asked in a subsequent press conference whe바카라사이트r this meant that 바카라사이트 number of margin places would grow in 바카라사이트 future, he declined to give a specific answer.

¡°It isn¡¯t just a question of 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 margin,¡± Mr Cable said.

Universities had found that ¡°if 바카라사이트y expanded [바카라사이트ir own] FE college provision it was at 바카라사이트ir own expense¡± in terms of places, which was something that ¡°shouldn¡¯t have happened¡±, he said.

As a result, colleges have reported that 바카라사이트ir partner universities are withdrawing places in order to take on more students directly.

About half of colleges¡¯ higher education places are directly funded by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, so cannot be withdrawn in this way.

However, 바카라사이트se colleges still require a university to validate 바카라사이트ir programmes, and 바카라사이트re are fears that universities will be more reluctant to do so in case this dilutes 바카라사이트 ¡°brand¡± of 바카라사이트ir degree.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com.