As discussions swirl of a potential return to the era before incorporation – when, in 1992, Further Education (FE) colleges were removed from local authority control – it pays to reflect on the broader history of FE in England. The provision and definition of FE have evolved over the years and can still be described as a work in progress. However, knowing something of this history, and the debates and policy interventions that have shaped the FE landscape, can help us make sense of what has always been a complex and dynamic aspect of England’s education and training system. It can bring value to FE practitioners themselves, but also to policymakers as they look to assess the potential outcome of future interventions.
In 2021, the Further Education Trust for Leadership (FETL) published Honourable Histories, a chronology of landmark policy reports and FE interventions since 1992. It was the first document of its kind to offer a comprehensive breakdown of past FE policy in England. Inspired by that exercise, and with support from the Edge Foundation, we recently developed a ‘prequel’ report, looking into the long history of FE prior to 1992. Like its predecessor, Before Incorporation explores past policies, but also wider initiatives and campaigns that have shaped FE in England, reaching back to the Statute of Artificers in 1563 – the state’s first intervention in vocational education and training.
Published in June, the report highlights just how much FE is and always has been an evolving concept – a shifting idea that embraces young people and adults, general, technical, and vocational education, and which tries to meet the changing needs of these overlapping communities over time. It also demonstrates FE’s rich and complex past; a legacy that, in many ways, today’s policymakers keep attempting to tidy up.
Particularly striking is how many of the themes and concerns that occupied campaigners and policymakers in the 19th century are still being debated today. Certain issues persist over time, coming in and out of fashion as the economy goes through different phases. For example, we are yet to resolve such fundamental questions as the purpose and meaning of FE, or even what to call it: Further education? Technical education? Further and Higher Education? Nor have we adequately determined its wider role in our country’s education and training system. Just as in the past, FE offers courses at basic, secondary, further and higher education level. And today, as in the 19th century, we still find ourselves asking: what role are employers playing? As policies come in and out of vogue, these issues keep arising.
Linked to all these themes, of course, is the role and impact of the state. To some degree, all countries must grapple with this. Unlike some other European countries, however, policymaking in England is centrally driven and lacks a social partnership involving the state, FE providers, employers and trade unions. This means FE practitioners have limited involvement in the way policies are shaped. Meanwhile, employers, though ostensibly involved, often aren’t, and some don’t want to be.
Meanwhile, there’s the question of the role of local and regional government. In other countries, while not exerting full autonomy, local government often has the discretion to develop courses or organise FE in ways that suit its needs. In England, attempts to resolve all these issues (or bury them) crop up time and again. As debates arise anew, what can we learn from their past incarnations? We believe the report has great value as a tool in this respect.
We know that parts of the chronology outlined will be new to FE policymakers, but also to many practitioners in the sector. Over the years, our work has shown us that there is a clear appetite amongst practitioners to learn more about the sector’s history. Unfortunately, there’s poor access to this information. FE teacher training courses did include some degree of FE history in the past, but this is not standard today. On top of this, FE practitioners have extremely high-pressure jobs. Peering into the history books in this context can seem like an indulgence.
Our hope is that the report will help stimulate discussion in all circles. Firstly, to support policy makers in making informed decisions. Secondly, to spark curiosity amongst practitioners themselves about FE’s roots, both nationally and also locally. By outlining how past policies and initiatives have impacted the FE environment, we hope the report will whet practitioners’ appetites to learn more about their sector, when and for what purpose their individual colleges were founded, and what this means for them as practitioners today. Like FETL’s Honourable Histories chronology, the publication is a ‘working document’ to which anyone interested in FE should feel free to contribute. But more than anything, we hope it will act as a powerful tool for reflection.
Professor Ewart Keep and Professor Lorna Unwin are two of the co-authors of ‘Before Incorporation: A Timeline of Key Initiatives and Policies Shaping Further Education in England Prior to 1992’. Download the full report now.