The Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, John Denham, faced questions from adults who can no longer access education courses because of changes in government policy that have seen 1.4m adult education places vanish across the UK.
Lobby of parliament
Adult learners, and organisations representing them, gathered at Westminster to lobby their local MPs and question the minister. Conservative Shadow Skills Secretary David Willetts MP and Liberal Democrat Shadow Skills Secretary Stephen Williams MP were also quizzed on their parties’ policies. Former Education Secretary David Blunkett MP was also there to speak.
CALL for more funding
Supporters of the Campaigning Alliance for Lifelong Learning (CALL) had a face-to-face Q&A with John Denham about his policy to prioritise funding for adult learners on employer-led, work-based learning.
Critics argue that the government’s narrow focus has put an intolerable squeeze on a broad range of other adult education courses, which have either closed or been forced to raise fees to prohibitive levels. A massive 1.4m publicly funded adult learner places have been lost since 2005.
Time to reskill
With the onset of recession, thousands of unemployed people are expected to look to local colleges and adult education centres to reskill. However, the CALL campaign has warned that if the cuts continue they will find their options limited. Of the courses shut to date, the greatest losses have been short vocational courses in Health, Public Services and Care, Preparation for Life and Work, and Information and Communication Technology.
Many non-vocational courses have also been forced to close and CALL has highlighted the value of such courses for citizens’ personal, cultural, social, emotional, health and care needs. Campaigners warn that those with low skills, growing numbers of retired people, those with English as a second language, and people whose long-term mental and physical health difficulties restrict their employment options, will be particularly hard-hit by the changes. CALL has asked the government to match its rhetoric on lifelong learning with proper funding.
Benefits of lifelong learning
Mum-of-four, Emma Snell, left school with very few qualifications but after starting evening classes is now educated to degree standard and works in a school. “I’ve heard people question the benefits of this type of informal adult learning and I think that is largely because the benefits aren’t usually measurable. I can’t wave a piece of paper at someone that says I have a formal qualification but I know that the learning I’ve done has had a massive impact on my life.
“As a direct result of attending these classes, I gained the confidence and interest in study to enter a more formal learning environment. I used to do three courses a year but now I have to limit that to one."
Standing together
NUS Vice President for Further Education, Beth Walker, said: "Adult learners are constantly overlooked when the government makes policy, but today they stand together in unity, making their voices heard and impossible to ignore.
"This isn't just a campaign about course places or fees; it is a universal campaign about helping people to fulfil their potential throughout their lives. Given the current economic climate, it will be essential for many people to learn new skills in order to meet the needs of the changing job market; the Government needs to recognise that it is in our long term economic interest to ensure that these people are given support and guidance."
Since its launch in September 2008, CALL has attracted 150 supporting organisations as diverse as the National Federation of Women’s Institutes; Help the Aged; the Refugee Council; the Church of England and the Muslim Council of Britain.