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Two letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including "Can the Tories Steer FE Out of Choppy Waters?" in the October 2, 2009 issue, and another on increased role of local authorities in providing funding to colleges and students in Great Britian.

The author considers the diploma program that will replace vocational qualifications such as the Btech Nationals and A-level coursework for students between the ages of 14 and 19 in Great Britain. It is reported that the diploma has yet to gain the respect of British educators, parents and employers and the author advocates for a credit-based system wherein students could choose among vocational and academic coursework.

The author reflects on the concerns of the Association of Colleges (AOC) on the over-emphasis being placed on producing sets of standards that are designed to improve the quality of schools in Great Britain. The AOC expressed concerns regarding the levels of bureaucracy and costs associated with some of the emerging standards. There is skepticism about the need for multiple external quality assurance. The Learning and Skills Council recommends having an absolute standard of excellence.

The article presents the viewpoint of the author regarding the future for examinations administration and qualifications in the free market in Great Britain. She is fraught with uncertainty as to the results of huge examination spending knowing the fact that colleges spend about three hundred million euros each year for the matter. To give further light, insights of the author are presented.

This article considers what British colleges can do to address the growth in the cost of exams administration and qualifications. The total cost spent by colleges a year on exams administration and qualifications is noted. The author reports that the Association of Colleges is in discussions with the British Qualifications and Curriculum Authority as of January 20, 2006 about the issue.

Comments on collaborative partnerships developed by colleges with schools and local employers that enable further education to give broad, personalized education at all levels and for people with disabilities in Great Britain in 2005. Flexible curriculum; Proposals for simpler funding; Implications on education.