Almost 70 per cent of college leaders either “strongly disagree” or “disagree” that further education colleges should return to public-sector control, according to a new report published today.

The Collab Group’s State of the Sector 2020 report, shared exclusively with Tes, highlights education leaders’ views on the current and ongoing challenges in FE, including the FE White Paper due to be published this autumn - which Tes understands could consider the status of further education colleges in England. 

When asked whether they felt colleges should be brought back into government control, 47 per cent of leaders strongly disagreed, 21 per cent disagreed, 21 per cent were neutral, and only one in 10 agreed and strongly agreed. 

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However, 55 per cent of leaders either strongly agreed or agreed that the FE sector should consolidate to improve stability of the sector, with institutions remaining autonomous. Around 35 per cent strongly disagreed or disagreed with this statement. 

The report said: “It is generally accepted that any additional funding will come with conditions and government will want to exert a greater level of influence and control over the sector.

“This is a compromise that colleges seem willing to accept, for the things they’d want in return (for example, additional capital funding and teacher pay awards that are equal to those in schools). Some are more welcoming of greater accountability than others, notably those that are more confident in their governance arrangements and their ability to deliver. They are calling for clear and achievable targets for the sector, with consequences if these are not met.”

Speaking in front of the Commons Education Select Committee at the beginning of September, Association of Colleges chief executive David Hughes said that whether or not colleges in England were brought back into the public sector was “irrelevant”.

Commenting on today’s report, he said: “Colleges are central to the recovery and rebuilding of our economy and our communities but need a more strategic relationship with government and the funding to do much more. This report from Collab, reflecting the views of some college leaders rightly therefore sets out important themes that the White Paper will need to address, including regulation, accountability, devolution, governance and funding.

“The final report of the Independent Commission on the College of the Future will offer a vision and clear set of recommendations which we hope will be picked up in the White Paper, but there will still be plenty of issues unresolved which we will want to carry on debating over the coming months and years.”

The report published today also found that 40 per cent of college leaders either strongly disagreed or disagreed that there is a strong case for further skills devolution. However, 30 per cent either strongly agreed or agreed with the statement.  

The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.