Research published on Tuesday (17th January 2017) by Rural England Community Interest Company finds that rural students face particular barriers with transport to FE colleges.
The State of Rural Services report says lack of public transport is harming opportunities in education and there are also concerns about gaps in access to broadband in rural areas.
“Poor transport services”
“When it comes to access to further education and skills development, rural areas are suffering due to difficulties and poor transport services,” comments Margaret Clark chair of Rural England’s Stakeholder Group.
There are currently 332 FE colleges across England; two thirds of these are general FE colleges with the remainder being a mix of six form colleges, land based colleges and other specialist colleges.
Despite this, those living in rural areas have less choice of FE institutions with only half of rural users able to get to an FE institution by public transport or walking in a ‘reasonable travel time’, according to data from the Department for Transport.
Choices based on location
The Rural England study says there are more people with low qualifications in rural areas - but being able to improve their skills in further education is made difficult because of weak transport links.
It also shows that the amount spent on transport by rural students is 20% higher than in urban areas. In addition, the availability of reduced-price travel to FE students in rural areas is also patchy according to the report, which means their choices depend on where they can be driven by their parents.
David Hughes, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, said choices about education should be based on what was the best option and "not just making the decision based on the cheapest bus or train fare".
“We believe that existing arrangements for local authorities to provide financial support for transport to young people accessing education and training could be significantly strengthened," he added. "We hope that the bus services bill, currently going through parliament, will move towards that."
Concerns for the future
Kirstie Donnelly, Managing Director of City & Guilds, said the study raised "significant concerns" about access to education outside of towns and cities.
“Everyone, regardless of where they live, should have the chance to improve their skills and access great careers. The current government has taken some really positive steps to enhance the skills system and raise the profile of apprenticeships in recent months.”
“But the sad reality is that we are seeing signs of a reduction in learning opportunities for many young people across the country, with access to post-16 education under threat from college mergers or closures resulting from the ongoing area-based reviews. As this report shows, learners in rural areas already face a number of obstacles in accessing training or apprenticeships. It’s crucial that policymakers consider how they can help people overcome them, rather than creating new barriers,” Donnelly concluded.