Published: 10 May, 2012
by WILLIAM McLENNAN

STUDENTS are being forced to move to new schools just weeks before their GCSE exams after financial worries caused a Kentish Town education centre to shut.

Camden Jobtrain, which closed last week, has been told it has to repay nearly £250,000 worth of government funding.

The vocational training centre, based in Regis Road, provided education to teenagers who struggle in mainstream education.

They took a mix of vocational courses, such as mechanics and construction, and core academic subjects like maths and English.

Parents and pupils were given less than a week’s notice that they would need to find new schools elsewhere in the borough.

Joanne Peteson, whose son Craig had been going to Camden Jobtrain for two years, is worried about the impact of the disruption on her son’s future.

She said: “As it stands he’s going to leave secondary school with no qualifications and yet he was set to pass all six GCSEs.

They’ve sent him to another school, but he’s doing four hours a week maths and English, which just isn’t enough.

“He’s just one of a dozen kids in the middle of GCSEs and they’ve just been dumped. "

"He’s done 11 years education and he might walk away with nothing.”

She added: “I’m absol­utely gutted that it’s closed."

"It’s turned my son around."

"He was on a bad road."

"He’d got involved with gangs and now he’s a kid to be proud of and that’s thanks to Jobtrain."

"I can’t believe it’s closed.”

Frank Dobson, Labour MP for St Pancras and Holborn, has written to Education Secretary Michael Gove outlining his support for the centre.

But Mr Gove said he did not see any reason to stop the Department for Education demanding £236,000 by the end of July “in order to protect public money paid for learning that was not delivered”.

The centre is being forced to repay the money because it was given funds for more students than were actually attending the centre.

Mr Gove said: “The government cannot continue to invest public funds in an organisation over which there are concerns of financial viability.”

A spokesman for Camden Jobtrain’s trustees – the equivalent of a school’s board of governors – said the centre had gone into voluntary liquidation.

“Our main concern now is to make sure the council continues  the provision,” he added.

“We appreciate it must be difficult for those students sitting GCSEs and we are working with the council to minimise those difficulties.”

A council spokesman said: “We are hopeful this Camden student and all others enrolled will be able to resume courses next week."

"In the meantime we have set up ­classes to ensure continuity for students about to do exams in maths and English.”