MP speaks out about effect of colleges’ major loss of funding
COLLEGES must be better supported to boost students’ performance as institutions battle on with less cash, an MP has warned.
Portsmouth South MP, Stephen Morgan, said a chronic lack of funding was the reason behind a fall in academic performance.
Speaking at Westminster Hall, Mr Morgan said: ‘In the last 10 years, qualifications in health and social care have fallen by nearly 70 per cent, the same for engineering and plumbing. But perhaps most significantly, IT qualifications have fallen by almost 90 per cent.’
Mr Morgan said a shortage of IT experts could threaten national security.
‘The lack of people doing IT courses could result in our workforce being less equipped to deal with cyber security breaches,’ he said.
The MP has called on the government to redress the situation by increasing the funding rate from £4,000 to £4,760 per sixth form student.
‘Over the last 10 years, colleges have had to deal with average funding cuts of 30 per cent at the same time as soaring costs,’ he said.??????
‘Colleges are essential in providing skills that form the foundations of future careers.’