On a map of the UK, the borders between England and Wales look like nice, neat lines. But for the people, businesses and colleges that live in these areas these arbitrary boundaries don’t really exist, according to Coleg Cambria principal David Jones. That’s why, in this week’s TES Further, he argues for Scottish and Welsh colleges to be included in England’s area reviews too - raising the intriguing prospect of institutions in different devolved regions joining forces.
Academy conversion
FErret this week has got his paws on a document which reveals which sixth-form colleges could be eligible for academy conversion - and bemoans the news that MidKent College chief executive Stephen Grix’s extremely popular piece on managing the work-life balance may have inadvertently deprived us of the return of one of FE’s most popular figures…
International student numbers
Elsewhere, Julia Belgutay reports on the fall-out from the Home Office’s decision to prevent colleges using Tier 4 child visas - a move that could cost the sector thousands of students and millions of pounds in tuition fees. FE Editor Stephen Exley responds to the earlier opinion piece by Rob Peutrell, and questions why the staff who will be most affected by the area reviews have been kept well away from the decision-making.
Let’s go to the zoo
Will Martin travelled to Hampshire to visit Sparsholt College principal Tim Jackson - as well as many of the 1,200 animals which live on its site. He discovers how the college’s ground-breaking work in the field of zoo management is having an impact in countries across the world.
Development, death and disadvantage
Mark Chutter of Sussex Downs College explains how he set up a research and development action group - a pedagogical thinktank, if you will - to develop cutting-edge teaching practice in his college, while columnist Kate Bottley reflects on the moments when young people experience death, and how colleges react to it.
Finally, shadow FE minister Gordon Marsden hits out at the government’s decision to cut maintenance grants for the most disadvantaged student. “This,” he argues, “all just ties into a blunt instrument strategy: making savings and cuts to fit artificial austerity targets, to the detriment of disadvantaged students.” It’s a powerful message from Mr Marsden - and we’ve offered his opposite number, skills minister Nick Boles, the opportunity to respond in the pages of TES. Over to you, minister.
All this and more in this week’s TES Further.
Read the full coverage in this week’s TES magazine, available in all good newsagents. To download the digital FE edition, Android users can click here and iOS users can click here
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