Aylesbury college course cancelled one week after academic year begins

A college course held in Aylesbury was cancelled one week after the academic year had begun.

Students planning on completing the T Level course in Lab Science at Buckinghamshire College Group’s Aylesbury Campus were left looking for alternative education arrangements following the cancellation.

The college group, which serves students in Aylesbury, High Wycombe, and Amersham, cancelled the course due to low demand.

However, teenagers hoping to complete the specialist training course were left having to search for a new educational path in mid-September when many institutions were no longer accepting applications.

One parent said his daughter was devastated and left in tears upon hearing the news.

He states that the tutor was only told the news five minutes before having to deliver it to the class.

The guardian expressed his frustration that the students were informed before the parents, and that young adults’ education futures were left in limbo.

The parent, who requested to remain anonymous, said: “The college could have made this decision weeks if not months ago

“The situation seems to have been handled in the worst possible way. It’s not a disaster, and my daughter has come to terms with it now. But it was difficult timing, with her doing a week of the course. And she is coming towards end of September still not knowing what she is doing.”

A spokesperson for Buckinghamshire College Group said: “Buckinghamshire College Group, like many FE (Further Education) Colleges, enrol students from GCSE results day until mid-September, so confirmation of courses running is decided later than schools. Unfortunately, this year, enrolments were very low for T Level Science, therefore making it unfeasible to run. Although this is disappointing news, the students were offered alternative Science courses. The College is ambitious and committed to run T-Levels and fully expect the course to run next year.”

The parent who contacted The Bucks Herald said his daughter will no longer be able to do a practical science course, but is over last month’s shock news, and is hoping to hear back from schools by the end of the week.