College principal spearheads national campaign (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

College principal spearheads national campaign

THE principal of Cirencester College, Nigel Robbins, says he is delighted the Government has finally agreed to look at the massive funding gap between schools and colleges.

Since the summer he has spearheaded a national campaign - the Campaign to Close the Funding Gap. Now it seems his efforts are finally being recognised.

Over recent months, Mr Robbins has carried out detailed research into how schools and colleges receive their financial backing.

And, far from the ten per cent publicly quoted by education ministers and officials, Mr Robbins believes the figure is more like three times that.

He says the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), which is the main funding authority for colleges, fails to consider the much severer financial penalties colleges suffer when students drop out or reduce their courses.

And, after more than 35 years in sixth form education, he is keen to level the playing field.

He said: "There's a conspiracy of ignorance in the Government - in the last few years they have been so full of new initiatives and razamataz they skip over fundamental issues.

"Of course, if you were cynical you would say the discrepancy is a way of reducing costs and making the funding system efficient - as long as nobody blows the whistle.

"There's an injustice about the way we are treated in terms of funding.

"I discovered back in May the average per-pupil funding for schools in Gloucestershire is about £4,400 for 2005, while for colleges it's around £3,800.

"However, I did hear a couple of weeks ago that the LSC will be carrying out research into the issue in the new year, which is very positive.

"It has taken quite a time for people to come to terms with it and do their own investigations, but the campaign is gathering pace."

The Association of Colleges has also carried out research into the funding discrepancy and is stepping up pressure on ministers.

However, Mr Robbins is not only concerned with the tariff difference between schools and colleges but a number of other funding disparities as well.

He says every secondary school in Gloucestershire gets £200,000 "baseline" funding before the per-pupil funding is added, but colleges do not.

Furthermore, schools can recover VAT through the local education authority, which colleges can not, while the latter also have to raise a far higher percentage of funding for capital projects.

Mr Robbins added: "Cirencester College would be hugely better off if operating under school rules.

"I would not make a fuss about two or three per cent here or there, but somebody ought to wake up to the fact that differences of over 25 per cent are unjust.

"The first task is to make sure there's some convergence and equality."

Mr Robbins was keen to stress the funding disparity did not impact on teaching standards at further education colleges.

He explained: "Economies of scale enable us to offer a wide range of provision and excellent quality, despite the funding differences."

Asked what he would do with the money were the Government to readdress how sixth form funding was distributed, Mr Robbins was not short of ideas.

He added: "I think we could do some of the things we haven't been able to do before, like providing more recreational facilities for the young people.

"We have a great football academy, but it's an interest of a minority. There are lots of other opportunities we should and could be providing for our students.

"Some parents are also paying between £300 and £400 pounds a year on bus transport to and from the college, which we could reduce."

However, it would cost the Government around £400 million a year if colleges were to receive the same funding as schools, so any changes in the funding system are sure to have knock on effects in education across the country.

Mr Robbins added: "The research is going to be carried out and they will talk to me early in the new year.

"The next stage will be to try and get the Government to do something about it."