College Funding

EDM number 166 in 1997-98, proposed by David Chaytor on 24/06/1997.

That this House notes the escalating financial crisis in Britain's further education colleges; regrets the deteriorating industrial relations and increasing demoralisation of staff at all levels within the sector; is extremely concerned about the effect on student achievement and student opportunity of the present instability; condemns the lack of accountability inherent within the current structures of college governance; condemns the lack of any form of serious strategic planning for the growth and development of the sector; believes the current crisis is the direct consequence of the forced introduction of the internal market combined with an inflexible and inequitable funding methodology; believes that the college sector has a central role to play in the implementation of the Government's policies on Welfare to Work and Lifelong Learning; and calls on the Government to introduce a moratorium on the current drive to achieve convergence of funding pending the estabishment of a major review of the further education sector which would include the role and function of the FEFC, the validity of the existing funding methodology, the structure of college governance, the nature of the existing industrial relations framework, the potential for establishing strategic planning mechanisms within the emerging structures of regional government and a comprehensive assessment of the impact of the internal market on levels of student achievement and choice and diversity within the curriculum.

This motion has been signed by a total of 75 MPs.