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A-levels put on hold at college
SEVEN students have had to find alternative placements after A-levels were suspended at their college halfway through the course.
East Durham College, in Peterlee, has temporarily halted its A-level provision while education bosses carry out a review of sixth form provision in east Durham.
College chiefs say the establishment, in Willerby Grove, only ran a limited number of A-levels and to deliver the courses was not cost-effective.
But Easington MP Grahame Morris has called for an urgent meeting with college principal and chief executive officer Stuart Wesselby over the cuts.
It comes after affected students were either put on alternative vocational courses or took up places at nearby colleges.
Mr Morris said: "I am concerned about these reports and have requested an urgent meeting with the principal of East Durham College.
"It is important in my view that we offer our young people access to relevant, good quality A-level courses here in east Durham.
"We have excellent new premises for the college in Peterlee costing 36m.
"This is a valuable asset for the community that should be offering a range of NVQ and A-level courses.
"Our young people in east Durham deserve to have vocational skills, educational opportunities including local access to A-level courses and positive role models if they are to go on to higher education or succeed in the increasingly competitive world of employment."
Mr Wesselby said: "East Durham College has decided to suspend delivery of A-levels pending a review of sixth form provision within east Durham.
"The college only ran a limited number of A-levels and the small numbers involved were making the provision not cost-effective to deliver.
"The intention is to review the college position over the next academic year, and we are in discussions with the local schools to look at a revised sixth form offer for the whole of east Durham."
Mr Wesselby said the college ran only five A-level programmes and the decision to withdraw the courses only affected seven students who had progressed from the one year AS-Level course to A2, the second year of their course.
He added that these learners have either been re-coursed at nearby colleges, or have been offered a vocational alternative.
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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