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Reports that more than half of colleges in Great Britain do not plan to increase wages for further education lecturers in 1997. Results of a survey of universities conducted by `Times Educational Supplement'; Colleges' claim that they have no money to fund 2.4 percent wage increase recommended with unions.

Reports on the lifting of a threat by further education (FE) chiefs to make college funding conditional on the openness about governors' interests by the Further Education Funding Council. Publication of the Nolan Committee's report on local public spending bodies; Recommendation from the National Audit Office that all FE colleges should establish a register of interests.

Reports on an interview with Joanna Tait, principal of Bishop Auckland College, England, who wants to help more women clamber up the management ladder in further education. Women's progress in management in further education; Functions of the organization, the Network for Women Managers in Further and Continuing Education, chaired by Tait.

Reports on the results of the 1995 college performance study in England. Colleges' press for radical reform in the way the tables are compiled; Lacking features in the study.

Highlights proposals to streamline the inspection of colleges, training and enterprise councils and school sixth-forms in Great Britain. Plan of cutting bureaucracy and demands for repeated quality checks. INSET: How Stockport scaled the paper mountain..

Reports on complaints of sexism at the Leaders of the Association of Colleges' first conference. Objection to comments made by chairman Howard Phelps when opening and closing the event; Fears of a public relations disaster; Event description.

Reports that American methods of privately funding higher education will be examined by Great Britain's national committee of inquiry on higher education. Challenges for the committee; Examination of the two-plus-two system; Articulation agreements.

Reports on the results of a survey concluding that further education colleges which offer higher education are better at checking quality than those which stick to further education. Inspection grades for quality assurance; Confinement of facilities to higher level courses.

Focuses on an expanded higher education system in Great Britain. Further Education Funding Council's championing of the colleges sector; Higher education provisions in the future; Sub-degree qualifications; Popularity of colleges.

Focuses on the British government's pledge of an extra 40 million pounds for further education in 1997. Cash standstill in the sector; Difference in the funding figures; Plans for efficiency gains.

Reports that the British government to relaunch a reformed version of the national vocational qualifications (NVQ). Plans for a national campaign focusing on the qualifications; Beaumont recommendations; Promotion of NVQs.

Reports on British college principals' reaction to the failure of league tables to cover more than three-quarters of the work in further education. Absence of significant impact on parental and student choice of post-16 learning institutions; Further Education Funding Council's plan of introducing performance indicators.

Reports on the plan to temporarily reshuffle the top staff at the British Further Education Funding Council. Freeze on recruitment while undergoing cost-cutting measures; Temporary occupant of post of finance director at the organization.

Focuses on the dispute between Birmingham College of Food and the local education authority of Birmingham, England, concerning the pension of former lecturer, Valerie Cook. Ruling of an Appeal Court on who will shoulder the bill for Cook's pension enhancements; Overturning of a High Court judgment.

Reports on demands of British colleges for increased consultation on proposed changes on funding for off-site training. Involvement of colleges in franchising job-related courses; Impact of colleges' efforts to reach the government's education and training targets.

Predicts budget cuts on the British government's work training schemes for jobless teenagers. Success of schemes in attracting unemployed young people into training; Comparison with budget allocations won by the education and employment department.

Highlights discussions at the 1996 conference of the Association of Colleges regarding the lack of opportunity for consultation within the British further education sector. Plan of following the example of American community colleges in using conferences to tackle issues and shape policy.

Reports on the establishment of a committee to decide the salary of the chairman and senior staff of the British Further Education Development Agency (FEDA). Response to complaints from key members of the FEDA board regarding chairman's pay.

Reports on the financial status of the further education sector in Great Britain. Amount of debt as of 1996; Doubling of colleges in financial crisis; Diversion of revenue cash to pay for equipment and building projects; Maintenance of quality of work despite financial pressures.

Focuses on investigations on alleged malpractice of Neil Preston and Helen Chandler, chief executive and assistant director of Stoke-on-Trent College, in England, respectively. Granting of temporary license to run a pub to Chandler who was on leave from the college for a stress-related illness; Submission of sick notes while running the pub; Receiving of full-payment from the college for leave days.

Highlights proposals for a revised system of accreditation for further education colleges in Great Britain. Non-readiness of colleges for self-assessment; Mechanism for speeding up accreditation.

Reports on the loosening of rules in Great Britain concerning the number of hours jobless people can use for studying without losing benefits. Exemption of full-time students from work requirements; Allowing of part-time students to take work that fits around their course.

Reports on proposals to allow universities in Great Britain to claim cash for further education courses and subcontract work to colleges. Lifting of ban on franchising.

Focuses on increased pressure on British awarding bodies over escalating examination fees. Impact of government's moves to regulate the qualifications market; Provision of the Qualifications and National Curriculum Authority with powers to cap the fees awarding bodies could charge.

Reports on the British government's plan to claw back cash for further education. Perception of savings from proposed pension changes; Demand on colleges to shoulder portion of early retirement pay-off; Reduction of colleges' pensions contributions.

Focuses on negotiations concerning the proposed merger of the Sixth-Form Colleges Association and the Association of Colleges. Sixth-form colleges' retention of separate employers' body; Goal of increasing sixth-form colleges' leverage in funding and curriculum issues.

Reports on the outrage sparked by the Birmingham City Council in England for awarding its finance chief, Roger Burton, a projected 400,000 pounds in early retirement pay-off.

Reports on the accusation laid on Clarendon College in Nottingham, England, of acting as unofficial recruiting agency for the Education Lecturing Services agency. Advertising for part-time staff; Requiring of applicants to join the agency.

Focuses on the changes made on the British General National Vocational Qualification (GNVQ). Replacement of multiplace tests with external testing and academic rigor; Adoption of recommendations put forward by Sir Ron Dearing's review of 14-19 education.

Reports on the impact of college rivalries in Great Britain on attempts to boost the country's economic performance. Problems hindering the effectiveness of the Competitiveness Fund; Intention of encouraging partnerships between employers, education and training providers, training and enterprises councils, and the government.

Reports on British colleges' call for the return of the restructuring fund used for covering redundancy costs. Colleges' dismissal of staff due to funding constraints; Government's opting to redistribute funds to all colleges as part of individual budget allocations.

Reports on high-technology partnerships resulting from Chinese educationists' visit to British further education colleges. Use of Internet to exchange teaching materials.

Reports on the National Association for Teachers in Further and Higher Education's (NATFHE) call on lecturers to a strike action in protest over pay levels. Colleges' opting to ignore a recommended pay rise put forward by the Association of Colleges.

Focuses on the impending closure of the De La Salle Sixth-Form College in Greater Manchester, England. Need for students to transfer to complete their courses; Impact of critical inspection reports on schools enrollment; Other factors contributory to the closure.

Highlights British college principals' views on proposed changes in policies concerning early retirement. Forcing of employers to pay a share of the costs of early retirement; Expected devastation of restructuring plans.

Reports on the Smaller Colleges Federation's demand for increased funding allocations from the British Further Education Funding Council. Need to balance out the advantage of economics of scale; Absence of likelihood of group's proposing of radical changes.

Focuses on the education initiative at East Leeds Family Center in England. Transformation of vacant building into a family center; Linking of neighboring schools to exchange expertise in order to raise standards; Encouragement of residents to return to learning.

Highlights the response of principals to criticisms by the chief inspector of colleges over excessive reliance on part-time staff in Great Britain. Pressure on colleges to raise enrollment; Slashing of costs; Establishment of guidelines for induction and training programs for lecturers.

Focuses on confusion of colleges in Canada over variable work training standards. Rejection of British approach to creation of system of national vocational qualifications; Ensuring of meeting of minimum standards for award levels.

Highlights the dispute among board members of the Further Education Development Agency regarding secrecy over the authorized salary of the board's chairman. Ruling on non-payment of salary to board members.

Reports on the closure of the De La Salle Sixth Form College in Salford, England. Declining enrollment; Financial troubles.

Features British theater actor Paul Glittus. Career as auditor for the National Health Service; Decision to enroll in the training program of the London Centre for Theatre Studies in Hackney; Comments; Plans and expectations.

Reports on the proposed national traineeship scheme for helping young people train for work in Great Britain. Need for support from employers according to the Association of Colleges; Consultation paper `Maximising Potential--New Options for Learning after 16'; Recommendations.

Reports on an increase in the turnover of college principals in Great Britain according to the Further Education Funding Council. Breakdown of statistics; Anticipation of increase by funding chiefs; Age profile of principals; Expectations.

Reports on the lack of student representation in various colleges in Great Britain according to the National Union of Students.

Reports on an increase in the number of young dropouts in the Mid Glamorgan region of Wales. High unemployment; Special training needs due to learning difficulties; Training allowances; Drug abuse and criminal activity.

Reports on the plans of the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) regarding national vocational qualifications offered by colleges in Great Britain. Background information; Implications for colleges; Expectations.

Focuses on the revival of Globe Works building in Lancashire, England. Transformation of building into a modern business center through a grant from the Hyndburn Partnership; Rossendale College's running of restaurants, conference suite and hotel in the site; Number of jobs opened; Management of facility by former trainees of the college.

Reports that the British government has ordered the Further Education Funding Council to reduce its running costs by five percent from 1996 to 1999. Cutting of jobs; Reduction of inspections and auditing; Review of activities and priorities.

Reports that the British Education and Employment Secretary Gillian Shephard has rejected the public sector union Unison's demands for the dismissal of the Yorkshire Coast College board. Revelation of weaknesses in governance from a critical inspection report.