Letter: League tables for training

Sir: I read with interest Barrie Clement's article on the publication of league tables for training (10 July). No one can dispute the need to raise quality and standards in education and training. This includes directors of education and trade union leaders who are also represented on training and enterprise council (TEC) boards.

However, there are many of us in the TEC movement who believe that the Government must give differential weightings to those TECs in areas of high unemployment, with pockets of chronic social and economic deprivation. Unless and until this happens, the league tables will be meaningless and do nothing to raise standards, particularly for those with special educational and training needs. As I overheard one TEC chief executive remark to another: 'I've got nothing against league tables as long as I'm at the top.'

The more likely scenario is that TECs will concentrate their increasingly limited resources on those who can reach the education and training targets in the shortest possible time and for the lowest possible price. In turn, this will result in the increasing marginalisation of those who take longer and cost more to educate or train, such as people with moderate learning difficulties.

Sir Geoffrey Holland, permanent secretary at the Department for Education, gave a keynote address to conference in which he exhorted us to be understanding and sensitive. One can only hope that despite the publication of league tables, the TEC movement heeds this advice.

Yours sincerely,

ANNE WEINSTOCK

Chief Executive

The Rathbone Society

Manchester

12 July

The writer is director of the Manchester Training and Enterprise Council.