Funding for the Future: Strategic Research in Further Education. A Report for FEDA.

A research study focused on the funding method for further education (FE) in Britain. From a theoretical study of the stimuli built into the new funding methodology, four topics of interest were selected for further investigation. To clarify the arguments, these topics were cast as a series of hypotheses that could then be tested using both national, aggregate data, documentary, and interview evidence from eight case study colleges. Hypothesis 1 was that colleges were subsidizing core provision from their franchising arrangements. Franchising was not without risk, financially or educationally. Franchising has a revealed a divergence in views about what should legitimately be funded as FE. Franchising is used as a vehicle for increasing participation or improving access to FE. Hypothesis 2 was that convergence has worsened the performance of students in FE. Its consequences were seen to be less adverse than expected. Main responses to convergence have been to change the terms and conditions of the teaching staff, and to diminish enrichment and pastoral care. Hypothesis 3 was that tariff farming may have led to greater diversity of provision within colleges. Manipulations of the tariff were rather more talked about than actually done. Hypothesis 4 was that there is greater differentiation within regions than between them. Evidence was not definitive, and the regional funding of FE needed further exploration. (Contains 53 references.) (YLB)