SFCA welcomes new education select committee report into further education

Commenting on the Education Select Committee’s report on Further Education and Skills published today, Bill Watkin, Chief Executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, said:

“This is an important and timely report from the education committee and makes a series of welcome recommendations. We are very pleased that the committee has redoubled its support for the Protect Student Choice campaign and the retention of Applied General Qualifications (AGQs) such as BTECs. The committee is right to describe the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England as unacceptable, but unless the government pauses the defunding of AGQs planned for next year, this problem is going to get worse rather than better. We are also pleased that the report backs our call for a fair deal on capital funding for sixth form colleges, alongside support to raise the rate of funding and drop the VAT ‘learning tax’. Sixth form colleges have managed to close the gap in pay between college teachers and their school counterparts through our current collective bargaining arrangements; the best way to ensure it remains closed, and all staff in sixth form colleges get a fair deal, is to ensure that 16 to 19 funding keeps pace with school funding.”