Students are in danger of being ill-prepared
for employment if funding challenges aren’t addressed, according
to college leaders across England.
Principals and chairs from 140 colleges across
England have written to the Prime Minister to call for extra
funding to support students aged 16 to 19.
The Prime Minister is urged to address the
under-funding which 16 to 19-year-olds have faced for a number of
years. The letter states: “Our students are now in danger
of studying an impoverished curriculum, which has already reduced
in breadth and choice, and cannot prepare our young people to
take their place in employment and compete in a global
economy.”
In England, the current base funding level for
16 to 18-year-olds is £4,000 per year. This decreases to
£3,300 at 19-years-old. This funding covers around 600
teaching hours per year – equivalent to around 15 hours per week,
according to the Sixth Form Colleges Association. This
compares poorly when compared to countries such as Denmark, which
has a minimum number of 26 teaching hours per week, the
Netherlands which provides 1,000 hours per year and Norway which
offers 980 guided learning hours per year.
Alison Birkinshaw, President of the Association
of Colleges and Principal of York College, said: “Our young
people are being short-changed compared with their counterparts
in other countries and compared with previous generations. The
hours of teaching and support, the choice they have and the
enrichment they are offered have all reduced as funding cuts have
bitten. This cannot continue if we are to secure the future of
our nation.”
College leaders are asking for an immediate
£200 uplift to the base funding rate per student. This will
help to maintain the breadth of provision and help attracted and
retain teachers and trainers.
David Hughes, Chief Executive of the
Association of Colleges, said: “This is not just a funding issue,
it’s a moral issue and should deeply concern every one of
us. How can we expect our young people, whether at school
or college, to get the support and education they need to
progress in their chosen path without the right investment?
The Government has already made
a welcome funding
commitment to increase the teaching hours for the incoming T
Levels, but this will cover only around 25% of 16 to
19-year-olds. The next step must be to address the
unfairness for the majority of young students.”
The Association of Colleges is working with other
organisations, including the Association of School and College
Leaders and the National Union of
Students to highlight the issue
ahead of the Autumn Budget.
Letter to Prime Minister
with signatures.pdf
