Comment

The Royal Commission and control of FE. Let us hope the control of further education will be seriously considered by the Royal Commission on Local Government. It has recently received evidence from the local authority association and the teachers' associations, most of whom have given special attention to further education. The Royal Commission on the government of Greater London seven years ago gave scant attention to the problem, and must be held responsible for much of the confusion and frustation in further education in outer London during recent years — even though its recommendations were not in fact implemented. It recommended that regional colleges should be administered by the Greater London Council and that the other colleges should come under small (100 000 population) borough control. The reorganization which was in fact carried our in 1964 handed all the colleges in outer London to the new boroughs (250 000 population). This step was unpopular with most further education experts, including the then Minister and his officials. But nothing could be done about it because in the fight to preserve the LCC education committee (as the ILEA) the educationalists had shot their bolt.