Education quangos will 'waste public money'

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) will be dissolved in April, after which local authorities will be responsible for the education and training of 16- to 19-year-olds.

But the government has created three quangos to replace the LSC: the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA), the Skills Funding Agency and the National Apprenticeship Service.

The Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS) and the Local Government Association (LGA) believe the three quangos will be unwieldy, complex and costly. They also claim the bodies will employ more staff than necessary.

Kim Bromley-Derry, president of the ADCS, said councils are best placed to decide how cash for education is spent.

He said: "The transfer is a fantastic opportunity to tailor courses to the needs of local people and communities. This is where resources must be focused if the transfer is to encourage all young people to fulfil their potential and help to contribute to the local economy. It is vital that the balance between national and local organisations gives local areas the freedom to do this."

Shireen Ritchie, chair of the LGA's Children and Young People Board, said the proposed new system is too complex.

"While town hall staff do the work of organising education and training courses, the new system means twice as many people will be looking over their shoulders," she said.

"Public money is a treasured resource. All public funds have to work as hard as possible and it is wrong to have money tied up in layers of administration and oversight which should instead be committed to helping people achieve their potential through education and employment."

A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said:  "We don't accept this view at all - the YPLA will bring significant benefits. It will be a slimline organisation, about a quarter of the size of the organisation it is replacing, the LSC. The fact it will have functions at national level rather than local authority level will create efficiencies, and existing LSC skills and expertise will be retained to perform these. The YPLA 's key role will actually be to support for local authorities."

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said: "The changes to the delivery of skills are a unique opportunity to simplify the skills system, bring business support, economic development and skills together and give regional and local views a voice."