Government
DfES
Localisation
QCA/SQA
Awarding Bodies
Ofsted
Schools



Localisation
Because the delivery of education takes place locally, but policy is made nationally, a number of organisations exist to bridge the gap in a variety of ways. The extent to which these have the power to make decisions depends very much on the political will of the Government, and this is the cause of much political debate.


 

LEAs
Local Education Authorities are those organisations of local government that exist to implement national policy on a regional basis. They are responsible for the provision of suitable education at school, or otherwise, for all people of compulsory school age in their region of responsibility, managing the infrastructural development of all maintained schools within their remit, and ensuring that performance planning and best value targets are met. LEAs are inspected for efficiency and effectiveness by Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education.

LSC
The Learning and Skills Council is responsible for funding and planning education and training for over 16-year-olds in England. Its mission is "to raise participation and attainment through high-quality education and training which puts learners first". One of its primary goals is that, by 2010, young people and adults in England will have knowledge and productive skills matching the best in the world, meeting the skills shortages feared by industry. Working with a budget of £5.5 billion, the LSC operates through 47 local offices and a national office in Coventry. Established in 2001, its wide-ranging remit covers -

  • further education
  • work-based training and young people
  • workforce development
  • adult and community learning
  • information, advice and guidance for adults
  • education business links.

Links
www.lsc.gov.uk

PPPs
Considered to be the "single most contentious public sector policy issue of Labour's second term" (The Guardian, 25 June 2001), Public Private Partnerships are a hot political issue, not least in the education sector. A number of LEAs are now managed by businesses, with a range of companies also involved in the delivery of services to schools, the allocation of financial resources and, increasingly, the direct management of schools. Each month, more companies develop 'educational consultancy' departments in order to take a bite at this very lucrative cherry. The idea is that, in order to reform the UK's inefficient public services, the government will engage the private sector to lend its competition-driven efficiencies to a non-competitive environment. The controversy lies in the extent to which private sector involvement is driven by profit ÷ still a very dirty word in educational circles!!!