Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Education colleges need pounds 200m extra a year merely to stave off financial crisis, MPs were told yesterday.
The figure, revealed by college funding leaders to the House of Commons Education and Employment Committee, takes no account of extra money needed to help reach the Tony Blair's target of half a million more students in further and higher education by 2002.
On the first day of its six-month inquiry into the role, funding and governance of further education, the committee heard that increasing numbers of colleges were in severe financial trouble.
Where 25 colleges, representing 6 per cent of the sector, were in a financially weak position in 1994, 119 colleges fall into that category now. Professor David Mellville, chief executive of the Further Education Funding Council, agreed with committee member and Liberal Democrat education spokesman, Don Foster, that the situation was "incredibly worrying".
The Prime Minister pledged at Labour's Brighton Conference last month to increase student numbers by 500,000 within this Parliament. This would cost at least pounds 1bn.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments