Loughborough College CEO John Doherty has asked MPs to highlight a major day of action in Westminster, following a report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies indicating an “almost complete lack of growth in spending on further education” for almost a decade.
During the first ever Colleges Week, part of the ‘Love Our Colleges’ campaign from the Association of Colleges - which represents almost 95% of further education, sixth form, tertiary and specialist colleges in England - 17 October sees principals, staff and students from across the country rallying at Parliament Square in what education unions have described as “unprecedented” action.
John Doherty wrote to MPs Nicky Morgan and Edward Argar highlighting the funding of further education colleges, which educate and train 2.2 million people every year in England.
“The lack of investment in the education and training of [people] reaching working age, and of adults throughout their working lives and beyond, not only impacts learners but also their families, communities, employers and the economy. Our growing population is increasingly unable to acquire the skills needed for the country to compete on the global stage.
“The IFS has revealed that for the past decade, post-16 education outside universities has been ‘the sector most squeezed’, bearing the brunt of almost continuous real-term cuts and the introduction of no fewer than 27 major reforms.
“As an FE institution, Loughborough College is required to deliver a wide range of teaching and training including apprenticeships, A levels, Applied General Qualifications, Levels 4 and 5 qualifications, the Post-18 HE provision, the National Retraining Scheme and Maths and English GCSE retakes.
“FE colleges have become increasingly efficient in response but per student spending in our sector is now around 8% lower than in secondary schools and has fallen by around 12% in real terms since 2010. FE teachers’ pay has fallen in real terms by 25% ...
“We hope that ‘Colleges Week’ is a highlight in your calendar - 15-19 October with its National Day of Lobbying on 17 October. As our representative in Parliament, we know that you will continue to seek the best model for FE delivery, and while this event is just a single week, we are grateful for the year-round support you give to Loughborough College and the wider FE sector.”