College heads says they are losing students and staff

About 100 college principals from across England have been protesting at Westminster.

They say they are not being given enough money to meet targets they are being set by the government.

A government minister told them to "stop playing the victim" and that the Further Education sector is well-funded, with an an extra �1bn being given over three years.

The FE sector, as it is known, complains that it is a 'Cinderella service', despite the fact that four million people take courses in colleges of further education each year.

Heads complain that they get less money per student than schools, sixth form colleges and universities.

They say 70,000 student places might have to go to meet the targets being set by the government.

'Disillusioned'

The principal of Leeds College of technology, Jim McWilliams, says he is retiring early because he can no longer balance the books.

He says he was forced to sack 40 staff.

"I feel a bit disillusioned in so much as the government does not seem to appreciate the investment that is required," he told the Today programme on BBC Radio Four.

The body which represents Further Education colleges - The Association of Colleges - organised the funding protest at Westminster.

Chief Executive John Brennan told Today: "The Government did set a good funding settlement in 2002 for our sector.

"But they also set some very ambitious targets to recruit more young people, to recruit more adults, to raise standards of achievement in the system, deliver more outputs.

The sector has got to get off its knees and stop being the victim Ivan Lewis, education minister

"And what we are now facing is that, having achieved that, having recruited more, having delivered more, colleges are now being told the money is not available for all of that and they are going to have to face cutbacks in the coming year."

The government insists the sector is well-funded but admits some "tough decisions" on the provision of courses for adults will have to be made.

The government wants to concentrate resources on education and training for 16 to 19-year-olds.

And it has also pledged to give free courses to adults over 40 who do not have five GCSEs or equivalent.

Minister for Lifelong Learning Ivan Lewis told the college heads the FE sector was being given an extra �1bn over three years - a record increase in investment.

"I'm not asking people to say thank you but it is not right to dismiss the most significant investment in further education that we've seen for a generation," he said.

"Of course you need more money but also the sector has got to get off its knees and stop being the victim, stop being the Cinderella, because if you carry on perpetuating that, that will happen.

"You also have to come to the table as a partner, and not see yourself as a victim."

He said FE had made many achievements in recent years, with more and more adults gaining basic literacy and numeracy skills.