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The Further Education Funding Council handled 26 complaints about the quality of college education last year.

Grievances came from parents complaining their children had been wrongly expelled, students saying their tutor was too inexperienced and staff suggesting the college had not used proper procedures in electing a staff governor.

But investigation of complaints between May 1995 and February 1996 found just 11 held water.

In the last published study, covering the 18 months to April 1995, complaints to the FEFC against post-incorporation colleges numbered 17, of which again 11 were upheld.

Patricia Stubbs, FEFC spokesman, said: "There are 453 colleges and three million students in the sector so this is a small number of complaints considering the size."