Natspec warmly welcomes the appointment of Lucy Powell as Secretary of State for Education. An Andy Burnham-led government with Powell taking the helm at the Department for Education gives the specialist further education (FE) sector much to be optimistic about.
Burnham’s place-based politics and promised re-think of the education system gives specialist FE colleges the opportunity to play their part in ensuring that all young people in every local area have access to meaningful, high-quality education that helps secure their future. Burnham is keen to create clear pathways to destinations other than university, to better support young people’s mental health and to tackle the rising numbers not in education, employment or training (NEET). Specialist colleges have expertise in all these areas; they just need supportive policies and access to government funding to enable them to deliver in a sustainable way.
Unusually for such senior figures, both Burnham and Powell arrive in post familiar with – and supportive of – specialist FE colleges. Just two weeks ago, Lucy Powell visited Bridge College in Openshaw, while earlier this year Burnham opened a new Navigators centre in Bolton. We will be able to leapfrog straight over the ‘raising awareness’ stage and move straight into discussions about how specialist colleges can contribute to Powell’s stated mission of “making sure young people have the best education, the best opportunities and the best future they can.”
Both Burnham and Powell also have a keen interest in further education and skills so we can look forward to education policies that fully embrace colleges, and not just schools, and which seek to deliver good outcomes for young people, not just children.
Clare Howard, CEO said:
“It’s extremely encouraging that we have both a prime minister and a Secretary of State for Education who are already aware of the vital role specialist colleges play in their local communities.
Natspec shares their broad ambition for our education system: that it should create better futures for young people. Andy Burnham has made it clear that a system designed around a traditional school to university route cannot and is not delivering for all. We welcome his promise of a radical rethink about the pathways that are needed to ensure all young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, get the futures they deserve. That means having a diverse range of education providers, specialist and mainstream, in place.
Specialist colleges have much to contribute here. We look forward to working with the new administration to ensure that specialist colleges are supported to take up their rightful place as essential civic and economic partners in a more inclusive education system.”