The turmoil over a damning report into a Derby further education college deepened this week as new evidence emerged about the role of the former chairman of governors, Stuart Webb. A letter sent by Mr Webb to another governor shortly after Wilmorton tertiary college became independent throws doubt on his claim that he and the college were handed their new responsibilities without advice or help from the Government.
Mr Webb resigned from the board in November a week before a report by Professor Michael Shattock of Warwick University called for all Wilmorton governors to be dismissed for a “lamentable catalogue of incompetence” over procedures and budgets.
When the report was published Mr Webb said lay members of the governing body knew little about education and were left without proper guidance.
But in a letter to staff governor Brian Bonsall on May 26, 1993, Mr Webb said he was fully aware of the rules by which Wilmorton should be run. The letter, part of the evidence compiled by Professor Shattock, says: “Direct contact with the Funding Council has been made to ensure the correct procedures had been adopted.”
Mr Webb said this week the alleged failure of the Government came after the letter was written. He met further education minister Tim Boswell last month to complain that the report contains “numerous” inaccuracies.
A Department for Education spokesman said that Education Secretary Gillian Shephard would act on the report “in due course”.
