11 February 2005
Further education colleges are demanding that the government plug a £200m funding shortfall that leaves them with 10% less cash per pupil than school sixth forms.
Representative body the Association of Colleges wants the reform of a system that, it says, costs the average college £500,000 per year in lost funding.
As a result, sixth form and further education colleges are struggling to offer 700,000 students the quality of teaching and support that is available in schools.
AoC chief executive John Brennan told Public Finance that ministers had indicated that the issue would be addressed in last year's Spending Review.
'Every one from the prime minister down has said something must be done, but nothing happened,' he said. 'So colleges and learners will be treated as second-class citizens for the next three years.'
The AoC, which launched a fair funding campaign on February 9, has received backing from the education world. Former Ofsted chief inspector Mike Tomlinson said: 'The move to a 14-19 phase of education will require a level playing field for providers.'
PFfeb2005
