Huddersfield students set to lose out in A-level cull

Huddersfield Technical college has announced that from September 2008, it must close A-levels in art and design, English, maths, history, psychology, sociology, physics, chemistry, biology, IT, marketing, business studies, accounts, Spanish, Italian and Urdu.

The college has told UCU that it has no option but to close the courses in the face of a new government target which upped the success rate for A-levels from 50% to 75% in just one year. The Learning and Skills Agency, which plans and funds further education, said that any A-level courses that do not reach the target will no longer get funding. Success rates at Huddersfield Technical College have been 'inconsistent'.

Huddersfield Technical College competes for students with two local sixth form colleges and has historically provided a second chance to students who have been failed by the school system. The college serves the deprived Kirklees area and the majority of its A-level students are young people from Asian backgrounds.*

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'Earlier this year, when colleges were told that they must raise their success rate in A-levels by 50% in just one year or lose funding, we knew it spelt trouble. Such a leap is far too high and far too fast and patently unachievable by the majority of further education colleges - as we are now seeing to disastrous effect at Huddersfield Technical College.

'A large number of young students and a significant number of older learners from deprived areas will be denied the opportunity to get A-level qualifications which for the moment at least, are the passport on to higher education. This target is very unfair.'

The college is consulting with UCU with the aim of avoiding any compulsory redundancies. Early indications are that this is the likely outcome of the impact on jobs with some staff likely to leave on voluntary redundancy terms and with many more moving to teach on alternative courses.

Huddersfield MP, Barry Sheerman, himself benefited from a technical college education. After leaving school at 16 to get a job, he went to Kingston Technical College where he took three A-levels in a year, gaining three A grades.

*Demographic notes

AS level
20% of students are aged 19+
80% of students are aged 16-18
60% of students are of Asian descent

A2 level
34% of students are aged 19+
86% of students are aged 16-18
70% of students are of Asian descent