ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the shape and scope of further education (FE) colleges and gives particular emphasis to their diversity. In the United Kingdom, the majority of FE colleges (452) are to be found in England and there are 51 in Scotland, 29 in Wales and 24 in Northern Ireland. The FE sector is expanding, with growth rates of up to 21 per cent for full-time students and 28 per cent for part-time students projected for 1997/8 (FEFC, 1996a). The map in Figure 1.1 shows the English regional breakdown.
