Further education colleges and leadership: Checking the ethical pulse

Abstract

In this paper, I check the ethical pulse of further education (FE) at the moment of its coming of age. Using a philosophical lens, I select and review post-2010 literature, to argue that FE colleges persist in a diminished form within a learning economy. In response to the managerial onslaught, the sector has adopted an ethics of survival, a necessary response to austerity and deregulation. Twenty-one years after incorporation, ethical fading has purged ethical desire from educational discourse, while the endless banality of college life has corroded the language with which it might be possible to speak about educational purpose, value, utopia, democracy, equity, and vision.

Meeting the needs of local communities and businesses: From transactional to eco-leadership in the English further education sector

“…More recently, under the Coalition government (2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015) managerial leadership continued to be encouraged by a significant reduction in funds made available to FE Colleges in an era of austerity, requiring senior leaders to focus on their role as CEO rather than leaders of learning (Dennis, 2016). A fundamental change in policy also altered the nature of managerial leadership.…”

“…Dennis (2016) describes such ethical fading as college principals' shifting role towards that of CEO to ensure college survival in meeting funding and inspection targets, at the expense of that of 'leader of learning'. Senior leadership, within this context, is less about leading education institutions than facilitating target-hitting enterprises (i.e.…”

“…To secure compliance internally, college leaders and managers have also been required to deprofessionalise and depoliticise lecturing staff to inculcate a culture of performativity and student commodification (Dennis, 2016; Elliott, 1996; Randle and Brady, 1997; Stoten, 2015). This is manifest in gaming behaviours, such as: lowering standards to certify a larger volume of students to meet achievement targets set (Ainley, 1999; Allen and Ainley, 2010; Smith, 2007; Steer, Spours and Hodgson, 2007); withdrawing lower-ability students from A level examinations to improve student achievement captured by newspaper league tables (Boocock, 2013); and steering students on to undemanding courses to improve student retention and achievement at the expense of their future employability and needs-based equity (Wolf, 2011).…”

“…A review of the FE policy literature on postincorporation FE colleges between 1993 and2017 (under Conservative, New Labour and Coalition governments and the current Conservative administration) leads to the key conclusion that transactional leadership has led to a deprofessionalised and depoliticised work environment and to impression management activity to meet the external needs of funding and inspection regimes, at the expense of the needs of local businesses and communities (Elliott, 1996;Rennie, 2003;Kelly, 2005;Smith and Bailey, 2005;Boocock, 2014;Fletcher et al, 2015;Dennis, 2016;Boocock, 2017).…”

“…In this article, the funding and inspection of FE colleges, which has shaped a transactional (or managerial) form of leadership, is outlined. A review of the FE policy literature on post-incorporation FE colleges between 1993 and 2017 (under Conservative, New Labour and coalition governments and the current Conservative administration) leads to the key conclusion that transactional leadership has led to a deprofessionalised and depoliticised work environment and to directing management activity to meet the external needs of funding and inspection regimes at the expense of the needs of local businesses and communities (Boocock, 2014; Boocock, 2017; Dennis, 2016; Elliott, 1996; Fletcher et al, 2015; Kelly, Iszatt-White and Rouncefield, 2005; Rennie, 2003; Smith and Bailey, 2005).…”