Jess Staufenberg | FE Week

The government’s FE policy is dangerously wishful thinking

Government rhetoric not rooted in reality will cause colleges to choose the easy options, writes Ian Pryce As a fan of country music, the untimely death of Nashville-based singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith gave me an excuse to play all her old albums. She never achieved great fame because she championed traditional American folk music, rather than […]

Wealthier students were almost twice as likely to enter HE in 2019-20

The entry gap between disadvantaged and more affluent students is now the widest it has been in 15 years, writes Sam Tuckett Enrolment into higher education is on the rise. Statistics published yesterday by the Department for Education show that the proportion of young people progressing into higher education in 2019-20, the year before the […]

The picture on widening HE participation gets worse the closer you look

The latest government data out today shows more people need to progress into levels 4 and 5, writes Nick Hillman The higher education sector – universities, colleges and private providers – has made huge strides in widening participation in recent times. Degrees were once for white middle-class men. Today, female students outnumber male students and […]

The DfE doesn’t have answers around subcontracting and funding ITPs

Ministers have got themselves into a subcontracting cul-de-sac, writes Aidan Relf The Department for Education’s recent webinar on its funding and accountability reforms for adult education was like trying to understand flowcharts at school. Except there seemed to be few routes on offer and key questions still need answers before the we arrive at ministers’ chosen destination […]

It’s a delicate business, this assessment reform

The debate about high-stakes assessment is hotting up. Jess Staufenberg talks to the movers and shakers You will have seen the headlines around assessment: “Scrap GCSEs”, “reform exams”, “focus on skills”. They’ve been building for a while – about a year ago, some Conservative MPs said GCSEs should be “replaced with academic, technical exams and […]

Adult learners lose confidence when course funding is withdrawn last minute

Adult education providers need more clarity on whether a course will remain funded, writes Delrose Earle Having navigated the hurdles necessary for curriculum planning, I have concerns about the long time it takes for announcements to be made about what courses are funded under the adult education budget (AEB). The pandemic has disproportionately affected lower income individuals […]

There’s no point moaning about media coverage of FE

It’s October and we’re truly into the cycle of the new academic year. It’s now a steady march (and occasional frantic period) towards the summer, with lots of events, successes and struggles along the way – and results day waiting at the end. Colleges did particularly well this summer to focus the TV limelight on themselves […]

Warm words from the Conservative Party conference must be matched with money

The Conservative Party Conference needed to show some real investment, writes David Hughes The rainstorms lashing through Manchester were a fitting setting for the Conservative Party conference this year. The party was facing challenges on gas prices, petrol, HGV driver shortages and cuts to Universal Credit. The fringe programme seemed awash with sessions on post-16 […]