In response to the announced cuts to adult education in Tower Hamlets, London CALL has issued a statement to the press urging all parties to defend the important services that serve some of London’s poorest and most disadvantages citizens.

Click below to read the full press release.

CAMPAIGNING ALLIANCE FOR LIFELONG LEARNING
PRESS RELEASE

date: Tuesday 16 June 2009
for immediate release

Tower Hamlets to make large cuts to adult education

Supporters of the Campaigning Alliance for Lifelong Learning* (CALL) have today (Tuesday) called on Tower Hamlets College to reconsider plans for swathing cuts in adult education. The college has announced that it will axe over 40 full-time posts and reduce student places on its ‘Skills for Life’ programme by over 50%, as well as getting rid of important outreach centres and support services for students and learners.

Tower Hamlets College works with some of the most underprivileged communities in London and CALL says it is deeply concerned about the impact the job losses and cuts to key social programmes will have on the local area. As a result of funding cuts by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) places for students looking to learn key skills in subjects such as English and maths will be slashed from 2,944 to 1,349 in 2009/10.

CALL said the planned cuts fly in the face of new government initiatives which call on local authorities to prioritise English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) and fund courses for vulnerable and hard to reach groups. CALL warned that essential courses which allow students to progress to the higher level English classes are precisely those which are being cut.

Campaigners are also worried about the reduction in outreach centres. The recent government White Paper on informal adult learning recognised the importance of such centres in encouraging people with negative experiences of learning back into education. Over the last three years over 1.4m adult education places have vanished across the UK, with many non-vocational courses being forced to close.

UCU head of further education Barry Lovejoy said: “These planned cuts are going to deprive the people of Tower Hamlets and the surrounding boroughs of a vital lifeline. With the onset of recession, thousands of unemployed people are expected to look to local colleges and adult education centres to reskill. However, if cuts to adult education, like these at Tower Hamlets go ahead, potential students will find their options severely limited.”

Chris Fabby, UNISON national officer, said “It is crazy that in a midst of a recession, when communities need their colleges the most, we are seeing course closures and job cuts at these very same colleges. The people of Tower Hamlets deserve better and we are determined to campaign with them to reverse these education cuts”.

ends

contacts: Alex Rossiter t: 020-75201032; m: 07977 562 686; e: arossiter@ucu.org.uk

notes:

* Find out more about CALL at:
http://www.callcampaign.org.uk/

CALL founding organisations include:

The University and College Union (UCU) is the largest trade union and professional association for academics, lecturers, trainers, researchers and academic-related staff working in further and higher education throughout the UK.

The National Union of Students (NUS) is a confederation of local student representative organisations in colleges and universities throughout the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, which makes a real difference to the lives of students and its member students’ unions.

The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) is the leading non-government organisation for lifelong learning in England, and exists to encourage more and different adults to engage in better-quality learning of all kinds and campaigns for, and celebrates the achievements of, all adult learners.

UNISON is the UK’s largest public sector trade union with more than 1.3 million members. Our members are people working across the public services in health, education and local government, for private contractors delivering public services and in the essential utilities such as gas, electricity and water.

The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) is the largest voluntary sector adult education provider in Britain, providing learning opportunities for over 80,000 people each year.

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