As students prepare to receive their A Level results
this week, the Association of Colleges says the Government must
invest in more teaching hours for those aged 16-19.
David Hughes, Chief Executive of the Association of
Colleges, said: “Our young people are in danger of getting
short-changed compared with their counterparts in other countries
and compared with previous generations. That cannot be
right. The Association of Colleges has called on the
Government to increase the base rate for 16-19 funding to match
that for 11 to 16-year-olds.”
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.
Mr Hughes 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 funding commitment to increase
the teaching hours for the incoming T Levels, but this will cover
around 25% of 16 to 19-year-olds. The next step must be to
address the unfairness for the majority of young
students.”
This year’s A Level results are the first to cover
the new linear format for 13 subjects, where AS results no longer
impact on the final result. This has already had a
significant impact on the number of AS Level entries, which have
decreased from 1.1 million in 2016 to 660,000 in 2017.
According to the Association of Colleges, this will continue as
the A Level reforms continue.
Mr Hughes said: “AS Level entries have virtually
halved in a year as a result of the reforms. This is due to
the new linear A Levels leading to a narrower range of subjects
in many schools and some colleges. Many students no longer
have the opportunity to start their A Levels studying four
subjects. This has led to massive drops in the AS Level
entries in critical STEM subjects such as biology and chemistry.
“The last thing the education sector needs is more
reforms. What should take place, however, is a review of
current post-16 landscape to make sure this is effective for
young people. Over the last couple of years, colleges have
already been subject to such a review. Yet new sixth forms
have continued to be opened within schools, often offering very
limited choice and a poor quality experience. We need a
more rational look at this.”
