UK government comes under pressure after the withdrawal of college funding
The UK government has today come under significant pressure after the announcement that South Tyneside College is not in line for a £102 million rebuild which had been indicated by the Learning and Skills Council sometime ago. At a time when the authorities are said to be placing significant emphasis on public services and the construction of education facilities, the minimum two-year delay in funding the South Tyneside College development is a significant setback.
Just 13 colleges across the UK have been given the go-ahead to access funding from the government even though initially, just a few months ago, there appeared to be significantly more colleges in line for financial assistance. Whether we are starting to see the UK government rein-in investment for the public sector is open to debate but there is no doubt that funding is tighter and access to new facilities and new services will be delayed in many areas of the country.
Education has long been at the centre of the Labour party manifesto which is why many people were surprised at the announcement this week. As much as the UK government would like to continue investing significant money into public services, and public facilities, there will have to be some reduction in this area in the short to medium term.
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