Post 16 Education Proposals 'A Dogs Breakfast' says MP

5.13.32pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 26th Mar 2007

Vincent Cable, MP, was highly critical of the new proposals emerging from a competition held by the government's Learning and Skills Council for post-16 education which involve a new 'Diploma Centre' run by a 'partnership' of secondary schools, Richmond College and Hawk Training but apparently duplicates A level teaching at the College.

Vincent Cable said: "For the last decade, as long as I have been involved as an MP, there has been a refusal by the interested parties in local post-16 education and training to subordinate personal and institutional rivalries and agree a way forward".

"It has been clear for a long time that what was required was a free-standing sixth form which utilises the excellent teaching resources of the college but provides also a centre which is attractive to residents of our borough as competing institutions like Esher College. Petty personal agendas stopped this happening."

"Then along came Councillor Samuel and the Conservatives with their idea for school sixth forms. Although there were serious practical problems with this idea, at least it was clear. That has been abandoned too".

"Now we have this half baked proposal from a 'competition' - which had only one entry - organised by the government quango the Learning and Skills Council. It is a real dog's breakfast; totally unclear; and will satisfy nobody".

"It is quite appalling that the borough which probably has the highest proportion of educated people in Britain is so badly served by the government quangocracy which presides over post 16 education. Until the early 1990's the Tertiary College and Adult College and schools, all came under the council which meant that it was possible to have a coherent approach. Since the Conservative government made the colleges independent of the council there has been endless unproductive squabbling. The government's Learning and Skills Council has just added to the confusion. The elected local council would do a better job but isn't allowed to".

"I will meet the Learning and Skills Council shortly to communicate some of the frustration felt by local parents and teaching staff".