A marriage made in Whitehall

摘要

It's more than 15 years since further education colleges first packed their bags and left their secure local authority home for an uncertain future as 'independent' corporations. like many such partings, there were mixed feelings on both sides. Although, for some, independence proved to be too much of a challenge, by and large, colleges revelled in their new freedoms, and most prospered under the distant gaze of the Further Education Funding Council. Relationships with local authorities were more mixed. The 1992 Act had imposed an effective 'decree absolute' on both parties. LEA representatives were summarily dismissed from governing bodies, leaving the field clear for an era of relatively-unbridled competition, and often soured relationships.