A-levels could be scrapped at a Huddersfield college

Mar 31 2008 by Katie Campling, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A-LEVELS could be scrapped at Huddersfield Technical College from September.

Governors are to meet on April 4 to discuss a proposal by the college to cut all A-level courses.

Students in the second year of their A-level course would be allowed to finish – but no new students would be taken on to A-level or AS-level courses from September.

Shocked staff learned of the plan last Tuesday and those directly affected were called into meetings with managers on Wednesday.

However, many were spending the Easter holidays worrying about how their future will be affected by the plans.

One lecturer, who has been with the college 22 years, said: “Staff have gone away completely demoralised, wondering what’s going to happen to them.”

He said the proposals would leave mature students and youngsters unable to get in to Greenhead College or Huddersfield New College with nowhere to study A-levels. He said the qualifications are still necessary to progress along some career paths.

“There is an A-level community which is not served by Greenhead or Huddersfield New College who are going to be disenfranchised. It will be robbing the community of an essential part of its educational provision.

“It is ironic that the college’s mission statement is ‘Putting the learner and our local communities in the heart of all we do’.

The college’s plan to abandon A-levels has been prompted by the fact that students’ results do not compare favourably to new national standards.

But staff say statistics do not show the whole story and that many students with previously poor education or disadvantaged backgrounds make real progress at the college.

The lecturer added: “It seems to be all about how we look in terms of statistics, which is not the whole story. A lot of the students we recruit here are from difficult socio-economic, underachieving backgrounds.

“If they cut A-levels because of our cohort not being able to reach national benchmarks, what will be next? It is the measuring regime that is wrong here.

“This seems incredibly short-sighted. The college is going to shrink its service to the community. A few years ago, Ofsted said if this college didn’t exist we would have to create it, because of the service it provides to the community. I am seriously proud of what I do and what the college does.”

Steve Scarre, vice principal at Huddersfield Technical College, said no decision had been taken on whether A-levels would be withdrawn.

He said: “This is the time when Huddersfield Technical College plans its entire curriculum for next year. Discussions will take place at the next governors’ meeting in April regarding the future of the college’s AS/A-level programme. No final decision has been made concerning the withdrawal of this provision.

“The needs of the local community will be carefully considered before reaching a decision about the curriculum offer for next year, especially those adult learners who wish to further their education. I can assure you that the best interests of both our students and the college will be taken into account before any decisions are made.”