The upcoming AoC Sport National Championships has been called off due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
The annual event was due to take place from 24 to 26 April and would have included more than 2,000 college student athletes, staff and volunteers from across the country.
In addition, all college sporting competitions organised by AoC Sport, an arm of the Association of Colleges, have been suspended at least until after the Easter break.
Dean Hardman, AoC director of sport and student experience, said: “We are extremely disappointed to cancel the National Championships but the Public Health guidelines and the personal safety of all participants and staff is paramount.
“This decision has not been taken lightly and we would like to reassure colleges that we have done everything we can to lessen the impact – including incurring the costs for the cancellation so that colleges have one less thing to worry about.”
A statement from AoC Sport added that colleges will not be invoiced by hosts the University of Nottingham for the championships.
Last Thursday prime minister Boris Johnson announced that all schools and colleges would not be closed at this stage in the spread of the Coronavirus outbreak, as doing so could do “more harm than good”.
France and the Republic of Ireland announced last week that all of its schools and colleges would close. Italy, Japan and parts of China made similar decisions earlier this month.
Education unions are meeting with Department for Education ministers today to decide next steps for education providers.
Ofsted inspections are still going ahead under current plans but they can be deferred. The first postponement was at Oldham Sixth Form College, as FE Week revealed earlier today.
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