The Sub-Committee on Education, Skills and the Economy has launched an inquiry into the Government’s area reviews of post-16 education. The Sub-Committee was established last year and brings together members from the Education Committee and Business, Innovation and Skills Committee.
The inquiry will scrutinise the progress and effectiveness of the area reviews, which are led by local steering groups, and their impact on the FE sector, including proposed mergers between institutions announced so far.
It will also examine the absence of other education providers from the reviews, such as school sixth-forms, and the extent to which they take into account apprenticeship provision. The role of local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) in the reviews will also come under scrutiny.
Neil Carmichael MP, Chair of the Education Committee said: “Area reviews are taking place with relatively little public scrutiny. The Sub-Committees inquiry will shine a light on the process, which could have wide reaching implications for the way both young people and adults are educated.”
Iain Wright MP, Chair of the Business, Innovation and Skills and Committee said: “The Government is conducting these area reviews within the context of its wider aims to tackle poor productivity and to develop a further education system which ensures all learners are in a high quality route to employment. As part of this review, we want to challenge and scrutinise the process of area reviews to ensure they improve the provision of post-16 education in every area.”
The Sub-Committee is inviting submissions of written evidence via its website on the following:
- The area review process so far and the impact of recommendations from local steering groups
- The role of area reviews in mergers between institutions
- The potential of area reviews to deliver savings and their likely impact on the financial sustainability of the further education sector
- The role of Regional Schools Commissioners, local authorities and local enterprise partnerships in area reviews
- The relationship between area reviews and post-16other education providers in the local region such as University Technical Colleges and school sixth-forms
- The extent to which area reviews and subsequent mergers take into account apprenticeship provision in the local area
The deadline for submissions will be Friday 30 September 2016.
For more information about the Sub-Committee and its inquiry visit its website.
