College merge plans 'still far from ideal'

Photo: Darren Robinson

The Oldham College

PLANS to merge Oldham, Tameside and Stockport colleges have been scaled down, it has been claimed.

Oldham Council opposition leader Howard Sykes says he had been told that the proposal will now only include Oldham and Stockport.

But he is concerned about the inconvenience and expense the merger would cause to local students ­- with no direct public transport services between the two and journeys potentially taking up to two hours.

He said: "This is surely a far from ideal arrangement in a borough where we aspire to drive up educational attainment and make the best choices available to all our students."

The proposed three-way merger was revealed in May as part of a review of 10 further education and 11 sixth-form colleges in Greater Manchester.

The government wants fewer, larger, and more efficient institutions but the colleges' recommendations on how they would achieve this, which were originally expected in June, have yet to be published.

Council leader Jean Stretton said proposals she has seen would see level three courses (equivalent to A-level) available across the curriculum at any college affected by the merger.

But she is concerned about what courses will be available to students at their local college beyond that. More details of what is being proposed is expected in December.