Protesting at proposed cuts to adult education

11:53am Tuesday 13th May 2008

The Government is carrying out a consultation that is likely to lead to further cutbacks in adult education, ie, day and evening classes. The consultation paper, from Innovation, Universities and Skills Secretary John Denham, is widely suspected to be a fig leaf behind which the Government plans to carry out the cuts anyway.

City College currently provides more than 650 adult education courses to people in the Brighton area. Alan Tuckett, director of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, recently said courses such as these will be "close to disappearing"

within five years if current government policy on continuing education continues. The impact on the quality of life in Brighton would be huge.

I'm an adult learner who has had enormous personal benefits from adult education. I want to encourage people to join the campaign protesting about what the Government is trying to do.

The consultation lumps all forms of adult learning without exams under the heading "informal adult learning" even though most evening classes are as formal as being at school.

But to Mr Denham, such learning is a 1970s model overtaken by selfdirected learning online and with voluntary groups such as the National Trust.

The paper even suggests that using the internet or watching the Discovery Channel is as effective as going to a class and says that learning from home is good because it decreases CO2 emissions. I believe being in a class with other people helps you learn, whether it is pottery, Portuguese or photography.

I was off work sick for many years and going to evening classes was a huge part of my recovery. There are thousands of other people with similar stories to tell of how they learnt new skills that gave them careers or found life-long friends, husbands and wives.

If, like me, you value adult education, please consider writing a letter to Mr Denham, by the closing date of June 12. Or by visiting the Save Adult Education campaign website at www.saveadulteducation.co.uk .

• Nigel Pollitt, Brookdale Road, London

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