Colleges in their Communities – 2nd call for evidence Tuesday, July 26, 2011 - 15:12

The Colleges in their Communities Inquiry's Interim Report published on 15 July, found that colleges need greater freedom from over-elaborate funding restrictions and other limitations to achieve their full potential for the benefit of their wider communities.

Following the Interim Report, the Inquiry's Commission issued a second public call for evidence, which closed on Monday 15 August 2011. Submissions were invited by a range of organisations and interested individuals - including principals, managers, teachers and community representatives - and the Commission was particularly interested in submissions that addressed the following questions:

• What is the relationship between colleges and their communities?
• How do colleges contribute to local / community leadership?
• How do colleges develop, implement and refine national adult learning policies and plans?
• How do colleges define and arrive at an adult curriculum for their communities?

Full details of the call for evidence can be found here.

The Colleges in their Communities Inquiry is being led by NIACE, the Association of Colleges (AoC) and 157 Group. It will report on the strategic role colleges can play and the added public value they can bring in leading adult learning and serving local communities at a time when colleges are once again expected to take responsibility for the shape and balance of educational offer to their locality.

With a Board of Commissioners chaired by Baroness Margaret Sharp, the Inquiry was launched in December 2010 and will report in November 2011.