AoC cool on sleaze squeeze

Colleges have given only a tepid welcome to the government's plans to halt sleaze in the sector.

Responding to the government's consultation paper, Accountability in Further Education, the Association of Colleges warned that plans to cut the number of business representatives on governing bodies would be "too prescriptive".

It also rejected plans to include at least one local training and enterprise council member on college governing bodies because "automatic representation on governing bodies denies governing bodies the right to choose".

The AoC also dismissed plans to open corporation meetings to public scrutiny, as recommended by the select committee report on further education: "It would stifle open and honest debate."