You don’t have to spend long at an FE college to realise the sheer scale of the pressure young people face today.
As a governor, I’ve come to appreciate just how hard staff work not only to support learners academically, but to protect their wellbeing, navigate safeguarding concerns, and increasingly challenge the digital ideologies shaping their worldviews.
Colleges like those in our group are doing far more than delivering qualifications. We are being asked to defend against social division, rising anxiety, misinformation, and, in many cases, genuine harm.
We rightly prioritise safeguarding and wellbeing. But we need to face a broader, more difficult question: how do we help young people feel they belong in a society where so much online content promotes division and distrust?
Online harm is more than a safeguarding issue
At STCG our latest termly safeguarding report showed issues related to mental health, self-harm and suicidal ideation. These are indications of a broader context in which young people struggle to find identity, belonging and safety.
Alongside this, there’s a quieter but persistent concern – the influence of ideologies online. We’re aware of students trying to access extremist content, and we’ve had to develop staff understanding around radicalisation pipelines, incel cultures and misogynistic narratives targeting vulnerable young people.
This is a new and emerging cultural and ideological landscape that our students are navigating daily, often alone, often late at night, and always without a filter.
To be clear, colleges are not standing still. We embed Prevent into our tutorial and enrichment programmes. Our “Be Safe, Be Successful” events cover everything from online safety and grooming to radicalisation and healthy relationships.
The data shows positive student engagement, and we are proactive in our partnerships with police, charities and local agencies.
But we have to be realistic about our limits.
FE learners are with us, on average, for two years. Staff have only a few hours each week to connect with learners, build trust, and equip them with life skills. Meanwhile, divisive voices – often high-profile political figures or online influencers – have 24/7 access.
As educators we can offer structure and support. But we can’t monitor their algorithm. We can’t undo a viral TikTok. And by the time a concern reaches us the damage may already be done.
What does community cohesion look like in FE?
There’s growing policy interest in “community cohesion”, and rightly so. But the sector needs clarity. Cohesion is not easily measured in data dashboards or inspection frameworks.
Students from different backgrounds are learning to trust and respect one another. It’s recognising when misinformation is being fed to them. It’s choosing dialogue over division. You can’t capture that in a multiple-choice test.
And when it works, it often goes unnoticed because it prevents problems from arising rather than reacting to them after the fact.
Colleges are expected to act as a final safety net, and we’re proud to do that. But we cannot and should not carry that responsibility alone.
If community cohesion is a shared national priority, then:
● Funding must match the complexity of need, particularly around mental health and digital safeguarding.
● Curriculum space should be protected for personal development, critical thinking and civic responsibility.
● National messaging must support educators, not undermine them with contradictory narratives.
Crucially, we need a cross-sector response to the online landscape young people inhabit. Social media platforms cannot remain unaccountable while colleges are left to mitigate their impact.
FE is resilient but cracks are showing
I believe deeply in the power of FE. I see it in our students who overcome challenges daily. I see it in staff who go beyond the job description, because they know they might be the only adult a student trusts.
But I also see the cracks.
We are witnessing too many young people falter not just academically but socially and emotionally. And it’s not because they’re failing us. It’s because, in many ways, we are failing them by not meeting the scale of what they’re up against.
Colleges are doing what they can. But we cannot do it quietly, and we cannot do it alone.
We need a national conversation and shared commitment to equip young people not only with skills but also with the strength to stay grounded in a world that often feels unsteady.
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