If you are considering studying abroad in
an English speaking country, then the Further Education Colleges
in England are worth your close attention.
The Further Education Colleges in the United Kingdom fit seamlessly
into the English education system. For English students who complete
their compulsory school years at the age of 16, the Further Education
sector forms the main route of progression after 16 to University
or employment. For international students wishing to prepare for
University, or acquire vocational skills, therefore, the Colleges
in this sector provide an ideal way to undertake such preparation
and skills.
The common factor for all the Colleges is that they receive their
main funding from the Government through what is known as the Further
Education Funding Council (FEFC). The FEFC has a team of Inspectors
who visit each College every four years to check on the quality
of its courses. They produce a report which is published, giving
grades to each area of work. This system is extremely rigorous and
offers you an assurance of the quality of the teaching, facilities
and support you will receive should you study at a particular College.
The Colleges use various titles, for example my own institution
just uses the term St. Austell College. Others use the terms Tertiary
College, College of Technology, College of Further and Higher Education,
or specialist institutions might use College of Art and Design,
or College of Agriculture. If you want to know whether a College
is funded and inspected by the FEFC, you can check in the FEFC publication
‘Directory of Colleges’ which is available from HMSO Publications
in London (Tel: 00 44 171 873 9090) price £17.95. Your local British
Council Office may also have a copy.
You can use a Further Education College as a step on the way to
university in England in several ways. You can take:
a) a two year course leading to General Certificate of Education
(GCE) A-level. Universities will expect you to have taken at least
2 subjects and 3 is necessary for any course or university in demand.
b) a one year course which gives accelerated access to a University.
These are variously known as Foundation Programmes, Access Courses,
or Preparatory Courses. A list of those available is given in ‘Access
to UK Higher Education: A Guide for International Students’,
available from HMSO Publications as above. Many Colleges have Foundation
Programmes validated by particular Universities. For example St
Austell’s are validated by the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth,
and guarantee progression onto a degree if completed successfully.
c) a two year course leading to a General National Vocational Qualification
(GNVQ). These are equivalent in standard and demand to GCE A-level
courses but provide a more integrated programme of study.
Many College of Further Education have now developed special arrangements
to accept international students. These will include specialist
teachers qualified to teach English as a Foreign Language, and host
family accommodation which is inspected by the College and the family
given guidance on how to make students from particular cultural
backgrounds feel at home. Your best guide to which Colleges have
these special arrangements is to follow up the advertisements in
publications like this one and ask the Colleges these questions.
Further Education Colleges also offer English Language courses
independent of academic or vocational studies. These may be in the
form of Summer Schools in June, July and August, or longer courses.
Whether you select pure English Language courses or a combination
of English and academic or vocational study, if you wish to study
at an English University you will need to reach a level of proficiency
of at least IELTS 5.5 (TOEFL 550) or more for certain subjects,
and therefore selecting a College with sound English as a Foreign
Language (EFL) support is important.
An increasingly popular option for international students whose
English and academic subject levels are ready for entry to higher
education is to follow a Higher National Diploma course for 2 years
in a Further Education College, then transfer to a university for
a course which ‘tops-up’ the qualification to a degree.
Many universities now will exercise their discretion for particular
students to allow completion of this top-up programme in one year.
This makes the combination of an HND then one-year top-up course
a very cost effective way of acquiring a degree.
Space does not permit going into detail of the many other qualifications
offered in the Further Education Sector, but you will be able to
make your own inquiries to follow-up your particular interests.
You will find the Colleges more than anxious to be helpful and very
professional in their approach.
What Further Education Colleges in England have to offer
overseas students
- Further Education Colleges are state funded institutions with
rigorous quality controls on their courses.
- They are Colleges which specialise in education for students
aged 16 and over, and therefore have an adult atmosphere.
- They are now the main sector for preparing students to go to
universities in England.
- They offer both academic and vocational courses across all occupational
sectors.
- Many have courses specifically designed to suit international
students, including specialist tuition in English as a foreign
language (EFL).
- Many offer Higher National Diploma courses, which can provide
a cost effective route to a degree after further study at a University.
The Author: William Hill, Principal, St. Austell College
Tel: +44 1726 67911 - Fax: +44 1726 67911
This article first appeared in Educational Courses in Britain
& America
