Tuesday, 27 October 2009 14:54 Colleges are supportive of Diplomas despite enduring teething problems during its first year of delivery, says a survey out today.

According to the Association of Colleges (AoC), 83 per cent of staff teaching Diplomas are positive about them and students find the courses enjoyable. The survey was completed by 133 colleges, and respondents said they plan to double student numbers for the qualification between 2009 and 2010.

However, colleges also highlighted a number of concerns in the report, such as:

• The complexities of delivery arrangements are particularly challenging and bureaucratic for Colleges that recruit students living in different catchment areas.

• Teaching the Diploma in one year as a catch-up programme for students with disappointing GCSE results is proving too challenging for many students.

• The recent decision to remove functional skills from GCSEs (but not from Diplomas) means that there is inequity between qualifications. There is a perceived risk that students may fail to achieve them at the specified level, which means they can not complete the Diploma.

• Those Colleges currently subsidising the delivery of Diplomas are unlikely to be able to sustain this in the long term.

Martin Doel, AoC chief executive, said: "Over 95% of general further education colleges teach Diplomas, so there is demonstrably robust support for them from this most responsive of sectors. However, this survey clearly shows that they have wholly understandable concerns about the high levels of complexity and costs associated with some Diploma delivery.

"It is clear that the Diploma still has some way to go before becoming the qualification of choice for all learners. Until it does, the ministerial commitment to retaining the existing vocational qualifications must be observed."

(Pictured: AoC chief executive Martin Doel)