Peter Aldous calls on the Government to provide clear leadership for colleges as some colleges and schools have cancelled BTEC exams whereas others have not.
Peter Aldous campaigns for more funding for Sixth Forms and Colleges and is a Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Sixth Form Education.
The APPG has written to the Chancellor setting out our recommendations.
The recommendations are:
- Introduce a dedicated capital expansion fund for sixth form providers
- Raise the rate of funding for sixth form students to at least £4,760 per year
- Extend the teachers' pay grant to sixth form colleges
- Introduce a capital maintenance fund for dedicated sixth form providers
- Introduce a VAT refund scheme for sixth form colleges
Peter Aldous outlines the leading role colleges can play in our recovery from the covid-19 pandemic and backs the Association of Colleges calls for college business centres to be set up to support employers and for a new deal for college funding.
Peter Aldous asks the Government to support colleges such as East Coast College as they face the challenge of supporting 16 to 19-year-old students whose courses have been badly disrupted and also for a funding review to help specific cash-flow difficulties.
Peter Aldous speaks in a debate on post-16 education and backs the Sixth Form Colleges Association campaign for the 16-to-18 funding rate to be increased to £4,760. He highlights the particular challenges in coastal communities.
Peter Aldous calls on the Government to invest in further education colleges with a sustainable, financially secure and long-term funding model so we can provide students with the skills needed for technological changes and realise their full potential.