Adult learning cuts will put hundreds of courses at risk warns UCU
2 February 2010
UCU has called on the government to abandon plans for adult learning cuts after college leaders warned that hundreds of courses may face the axe
A survey by the Association of Colleges (AOC) released today (Tuesday) shows that two in five institutions surveyed are facing funding cuts of over 20% and the union warned that those most in need of training risked missing out.
The AOC, who will today give evidence to the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee on further education funding, estimate that adult learner budgets will shrink on average by 16% if the government presses ahead with its planned £200 million cuts to adult learning.
UCU described the cuts as a 'hammer blow' to staff and students and said they made a mockery of the government's much-vaunted commitment to education. Many of the courses likely to be affected are skills for life programmes which are designed for people with few or no qualifications in literacy and maths.
The union further warned that cuts in adult learning could impact on colleges' work with young people as many vocational tutors also teach 16-19 year olds.
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'The government needs to realise the impact these cuts are going to have. We face the very frightening prospect of many courses having to close and provision being vastly scaled back. This will be a hammer blow to staff and students and make it much harder for people to get back in to education.
'The government has rightly identified education as a key driver of social mobility. However, making swingeing cuts to adult learning now would be an outrageous affront to the millions of people it has promised it would not let down.'
The AOC, who will today give evidence to the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee on further education funding, estimate that adult learner budgets will shrink on average by 16% if the government presses ahead with its planned £200 million cuts to adult learning.
UCU described the cuts as a 'hammer blow' to staff and students and said they made a mockery of the government's much-vaunted commitment to education. Many of the courses likely to be affected are skills for life programmes which are designed for people with few or no qualifications in literacy and maths.
The union further warned that cuts in adult learning could impact on colleges' work with young people as many vocational tutors also teach 16-19 year olds.
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'The government needs to realise the impact these cuts are going to have. We face the very frightening prospect of many courses having to close and provision being vastly scaled back. This will be a hammer blow to staff and students and make it much harder for people to get back in to education.
'The government has rightly identified education as a key driver of social mobility. However, making swingeing cuts to adult learning now would be an outrageous affront to the millions of people it has promised it would not let down.'
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