http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/3450713.stm
From BBCNews:
College for deaf to close
Students and staff at a college for the deaf in Derby are devastated by a decision to close it down, a college official says.
The college is closing down in September 2004. Students and staff at a college for the deaf in Derby are devastated by a decision to close it down, a college official says. The Derby College for Deaf People will shut in September 2004 after a critical Ofsted inspection gave it a poor performance rating.
The college bursar Tony Quipp told BBC News that the board of governors had no choice because of an enrolment freeze imposed after the March 2003 Ofsted inspection.
He said: "It takes £3m to run the college, and we need 75 to 80 students to fund it properly, but we are left with only 55 students after the freeze was imposed after the inspection.
'Big blow'
"The long-term problem is that you cannot have a college without students."
A follow-up Ofsted inspection before Christmas said the college had made "reasonable progress" but since then that rating has been downgraded to "limited progress"
"That was a really big blow to us and a nail in the coffin, " Mr Quipp said.
"It was an absolute disaster as we will be left with only 28 students by September 2004," the bursar said.
"The students and staff are totally devastated by the decision - they are angry and upset.
Student Guy Orlov told BBC News Online: "I dreamed that I would study at the college and then go onto university, but at the moment I can't see this happening.
"I feel like I have lost control of my future and education - and all my plans have been ruined.
"I am angry that the students were not fully informed before about the future of the college and now we can't do anything to change it," Mr Orlov said.
Mr Quipp added: "The challenge for the learning and skills council is to find the best placements for the students who remain.
"There was not enough consultation at first when the problems were identified at the outset and the freeze imposed."
From BBCNews:
College for deaf to close
Students and staff at a college for the deaf in Derby are devastated by a decision to close it down, a college official says.
The college is closing down in September 2004. Students and staff at a college for the deaf in Derby are devastated by a decision to close it down, a college official says. The Derby College for Deaf People will shut in September 2004 after a critical Ofsted inspection gave it a poor performance rating.
The college bursar Tony Quipp told BBC News that the board of governors had no choice because of an enrolment freeze imposed after the March 2003 Ofsted inspection.
He said: "It takes £3m to run the college, and we need 75 to 80 students to fund it properly, but we are left with only 55 students after the freeze was imposed after the inspection.
'Big blow'
"The long-term problem is that you cannot have a college without students."
A follow-up Ofsted inspection before Christmas said the college had made "reasonable progress" but since then that rating has been downgraded to "limited progress"
"That was a really big blow to us and a nail in the coffin, " Mr Quipp said.
"It was an absolute disaster as we will be left with only 28 students by September 2004," the bursar said.
"The students and staff are totally devastated by the decision - they are angry and upset.
Student Guy Orlov told BBC News Online: "I dreamed that I would study at the college and then go onto university, but at the moment I can't see this happening.
"I feel like I have lost control of my future and education - and all my plans have been ruined.
"I am angry that the students were not fully informed before about the future of the college and now we can't do anything to change it," Mr Orlov said.
Mr Quipp added: "The challenge for the learning and skills council is to find the best placements for the students who remain.
"There was not enough consultation at first when the problems were identified at the outset and the freeze imposed."