Inequalities in funding
According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, available funding for further education is heavily restricted and compares badly with the higher education sector.1 School sixth forms have had to deal with budget cuts of 23% per student since 2010-11, and further education and sixth from college funding per student has fallen by about 12% over the same time period. Despite a further £300 million being allocated for 2020-21, spending per student in further education is over 7% down on 2010. Further education colleges and sixth forms have been subject to the largest cuts in recent years.
The graph below shows the year on year comparison of spending per student per year at the different stages of education. The gap between further education and higher education funding increased quite dramatically after 2011-12 and has remained significant and persistent.
Spending per student per year at different stages of education
Source: 2019 annual report on education spending in England2
With the exception of apprenticeships (which have been well funded but not undertaken at the expected levels), spending on adult education has fallen by nearly two-thirds since 2003/4. This collapse in adult provision must also be understood in the context of the decline in part-time participation in higher education (see Higher education).
The recent report for the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding makes a number of recommendations to address the funding inequalities and improve access to learning at level 3 and above, and ensure it is aligned to the needs of local economies. Significantly, it regards further education colleges as ‘engines of social mobility and inclusion’, enabling sustainable career opportunities. Employers have a significant role to play in this process by integrating learning in the workplace to upskill and reskill employees to ensure the adaptability needed to withstand economic changes.
Footnotes
- Jack Britton et al. 2019 annual report on education spending in England. Institute for Fiscal Studies.
- IFS: Eductation Spending in England 2019
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