5 JUN 2022
Major review launched to bring colleges back into public sector
After ten years in the private sector, the ONS are now considering whether to reclassify colleges as public sector organisations.
A major review has been launched which could see colleges brought back in to the public sector.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today announced that further education colleges, sixth form college corporations and designated institutions are to be assessed and possibly reclassified.
The ONS is run by Sir Ian Diamond, the UK’s national statistician, who also chaired the Independent Commission on the College of the Future. The stats body carries out regular reviews of parts of the economy to decide how they should be accounted for in the national accounts.
Currently, colleges are classified as part of the private sector, a decision the OfS took in 2012.
Possible reclassification of colleges to the public sector was first revealed by FE Week two years ago when the government’s further education white paper was being developed.
The very same white paper, Skills for Jobs, and its resulting legislation, the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022, appear to be the catalyst for the ONS’ current assessment of colleges’ classification status.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Our colleges play a vital role in making sure young people and adults continue to gain the skills they need to progress and secure jobs and we want that to continue.
“Any decision to reclassify colleges will not change this driving mission. We will await the decision of the Office for National Statistics review and, if required, will work closely with colleges to ensure any transition from the private to government sector happens in as smooth and seamless way as possible.”