Too Cool for School
The end of Sixth Form Provision at Secondary Schools is Nigh! by Shae Courtney
There are usually between two and three crucial changes in a child’s educational life before he or she enters university or employment. One change between primary and secondary school and perhaps another between secondary school and a Further Education College. The third change, according to The Guardian Education Supplement, is becoming the place to hangout for the teenage population wanting to further their education.
So great are the numbers leaving secondary school and choosing College instead of school sixth forms that FE Principals across the country are struggling to cope with the extra numbers of students without extra funding. In fact, some FE Colleges are having to turn away prospective students because there are simply too many applicants. A handful of Colleges have as many as 400 or 500 unfunded students on their rolls.
The reasons why more people are choosing to be educated at Colleges rather than to stay on at school sixth forms could be down to many reasons. Firstly, the increased numbers could be because of the Government’s Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) that has its roots entrenched in the late 1990s. More likely, however, is that College has become the trendy, more “adult” way to study after school.
Speaking from experience, studying at school was always a rigid and boxy affair that allowed for little independence. There was always someone driving me on, mollycoddling me and nurturing me in this woolly, artificial environment. School environments are great when children are very young and in their early teens, but once they get a sense of independence and drive, then the school system is ultimately doomed.
For me, making the jump between school and Sixth Form College hasn’t been about some kind of rebellious, breakaway streak that is etched upon my character. Rather, a brave new world of independence and trust – of liberalism and of progression. With what I’ve witnessed so far, all I can say is so far, so good!
