§ Mr. Fortasked the Minister of Education whether he will now make a statement about the arrangements for regional co-ordination of courses in further education and inter-authority payments.
§ Sir D. EcclesI met representatives of the London County Council and of the Associations of Local Authorities and Education Committees on 17th July and they agreed to make the following recommendations to their constituents
In the light of the White Paper on Technical Education and Circular 305, the local education authorities should invite regional advisory councils:
- (a) to examine urgently the existing provision of vocational courses, particularly above the level of O.N.C. or its equivalent;
- (b) to consider how far industry, and employers generally, are aware of the provision already made for technical education;
- (c) to consider how industry and the technical colleges can be better informed of any decisions resulting from advice given by the council which may affect the pattern of future development and in particular the planning of new advanced vocational courses.
A working party of officers of the Ministry, H.M. Inspectors and representatives of local 28W authorities and education committees (including representatives of technical colleges) industry and officers of regional advisory councils should be set up under the chairmanship of a senior officer of the Ministry to consider the procedure for examining and approving courses in further education. In the first instance, the working party should examine technical education courses.On the question of authorities giving consent to the attendance of students at courses outside the area in which they reside, consent should be given automatically in respect of attendance at any advanced courses at a designated college of advanced technology. Similar automatic consent should be given in respect of attendance at any other course, full-time or part-time, in a designated college or elsewhere, except where an authority finds it desirable to require prior consent. It is expected that when the proposed review of courses has been satisfactorily completed the number of exceptions will be very small. The Minister and the regional advisory council concerned should be informed of the exceptions.In all cases where automatic consent is given an authority may reserve the right to withdraw consent if in its opinion the student's attendance or progress is unsatisfactory.Local education authorities should review the composition of governing bodies of technical colleges in order to ensure that they include appropriate representation of authorities from whose areas substantial numbers of out-county students are drawn.