PETITION FAQ

HOW much has been cut in bradford?

The Government have made cuts of £3.2m. For more details, click here to read Bradford College's 'Changes in Community Education Provision: The Facts'.

Why is adult and community education important?

Because it :

Keeps elderly people active and involved in their communties
Gives people who are not working an opportunity to keep learning, for example whilst caring for children
Gives people who are not used to studying a way to move eventually in to work related education.
Gives unemployed people an opportunity to demonstrate committment, knwowledge and skills
Helps build stronger communities by getting people studying together in a local area
Help improve language skills, personal skills, and other valuable life skills
Offers people on low incomes the opportunity to prusue an interest in their spare time
Allows everyone to keep an active mind and pruse their interests, whether young or old
Is available to all regardless of location, disability, or background thanks to the large number of community venues
Gets people working with others from different backgrounds, communities and cultures, helping us to understand one another better
Gives young people the opportunity to study subjects not part of the national curriculum or not available as full time college and university courses, offering a wider persepective on life
Supports skilled local employment for many lecturers and support staff and helps to drive Bradford's economy forward, making us all better off.

Everyone is talking about cuts in adult education but the government says it is spending more money. Which is true?

Both, actually. The government has decided to priorities education for young people looking for skills for work. This is a good thing of course, but adults need to learn too. Unfortunately, the government is paying for the focus on employment skills for young people through severe cuts in funding for other types of adult education. So the government is spending more money on education for a small (less than 3%) increase in these places- but at the price of huge cuts in funding for adult and community classes. That's why classes are being closed across Bradford and more lecturers are losing their jobs.

The government has accepted that nationally 500,000 places will be lost; the National Institute for Adult Continuing Education has put the number at one million. The Association of Colleges says 134 colleges had already cut courses by last December. There is no question about whether the cuts are real. The only question is how much damage they will do.

Why is the government making the cuts?

It's a good question - and one the government refuses to answer. In 1997 the government was promising 'lifelong learning' - ten years later the number of adult learners has just fallen by 500,000 (source: BBC). If the government allowed a debate on the matter we might find out why, but they have rejected all calls for a debate in the House of Commons. The only conclusion is that they just don't consider it important.

How do we know it is the Government, and not the College, that is responsible for the cuts?

Colleges are funded by the Learning and Skills Council, which is a government Quango. The government tells the LSC what types of courses to fund, and the LSC then gives money to the Colleges for providing the courses the government wants. A College can't run courses for which it gets no funding, except at full cost, and that is too expensive for many. The funding shortfall is so great that it would not be reasonble to expect the College to run the courses that are not funded as it would make a loss and other students would suffer. Finally, if it were all the College's fault, we would not expect to see the same problems elsewhere. In fact, Colleges are closing courses across the country (source: BBC).

Why won't the government allow a debate in the House of Commons?

Presumaby because they don't want people to know aht they are doing. one of our local MP's, Philip Davies, has twice asked for a debate - and twice been refused.

Here's the transcript so you can see for yourself:

15th June 2006:

Philip Davies (Shipley, Conservative) Link to this | Hansard source

"May we have a debate on adult education? The Government's decision to cut adult education funding and divert the moneys to other areas of further education has led to a cut in the overall budget to Shipley college last year. It has led also to many people having to pay extra fees, many of whom cannot afford them. Bradford college has decided to shut Burley Grange in my constituency, which provided adult education for people in Wharfedale. I am sure that the Leader of the House understands how important adult education is to many people throughout the country. I hope that he will find time for a debate on the subject. There are issues that are causing much anguish in my constituency."

Jack Straw (Lord Privy Seal, House of Commons) Link to this | Hansard source

"I do understand the importance of further education. I am proud to say that I have been, and remain, the governor of the further education college in Blackburn for the past 15 years. I take a real and close interest in the matter. There have been some changes in funding, not for all adult education—let us be clear about that—but of non-vocational adult education. I know the importance of that to those who are concerned. Overall, there has been investment in education at other levels—primary, secondary and higher education—as well as in further education. That is leading over time to significant improvements in skills levels and, for example, in eradicating adult illiteracy, about which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education spoke yesterday."

8th Febuary 2007:

Philip Davies (Shipley, Conservative) Link to this | Hansard source

"As I failed to catch your eye, Mr. Speaker, during Education questions, may I ask the Leader of the House for a debate on adult education? The Government's cuts in adult education have left Bradford college with enrolments down from 8,249 to 5,437 and the courses available down from 944 to 579. In Wharfedale in my constituency, enrolments are down from 1,813 to 915 and the courses are down from 200 to 110. I am sure that the Leader of the House understands our concern. May we have a debate to ascertain whether such cuts in adult education in all our communities throughout the country are the will of the House?"

Jack Straw (Lord Privy Seal, House of Commons) Link to this | Hansard source

"I continue to serve as a governor of one of the country's finest further education colleges—Blackburn college—and I am not aware that our budget has been cut. Indeed, I know that the budget has increased significantly. Of course, there are pressures on, for example, some aspects of non-vocational adult education. There is an issue about choices, which we must all face if we are to improve the overall skill level of the British people. Those choices would confront any Conservative Government—more so, because they would spend less—that the hon. Gentleman supported."

I think that meant 'no'. Philip also asked Education Secretary Alan Johnson to reconsider the cuts. You can read the transcript here, but basically Johnson said 'no' as well.

So what has the government said about it?

"I am not going to say that a half a million or so places haven't been lost" - Jon Gamble, director for adult and lifelong learning at the Learning and Skills Council

"I am very confident that what we are doing is the right approach" - Bill Rammell MP, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning (source: BBC)

At the moment the government clearly thinks that cutting adult and community education courses is the right thing to do. We need to show them that they are wrong.

What can we do about it?

Sign the petition and encourage your friends, family and neighbours to sign it as well.

You could also write to the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Education, or your local MP.

Is this the same as the College's petition?

No. The College have set up a petition to Bill Rammell, the minister for lifelong learning, and you can sign that too at any College centre. The petitions are slightly different, but are making the same basic request to reinstate the funding. However, only this petition will be presented to the House of Parliament and only this petition will be sent to the new Prime Minister when he takes office. You can sign both petitions.

Is this is the same as the petition to Save Burley Grange?

No. That was a petition to the College to keep the Burley Campus open, and that petition closed last summer. This is a petition to the Government to prodide adequate funding so even more courses don't have to close. You can sign both petitions.

Who can sign the petition?

Anyone can sign the petition. All you need are your name, email address and postcode. We need the postcode so we can demonstrate to the Prime Minister that adult and community education is important in every community in Bradford. You will need to make sure your email address is correct as this is used make sure all signatories are genuine. You will recieve an email with a link which you must click on to complete your entry and register your support.

When will the petition close?

The petition will be presented to the Prime Minister on the 27th June 2007 - the Day Gordon Brown is due to take over at Number 10.

AND FINALLY...

Thank you for your support. Let's hope that together we can make the government think again.

Regards,

Matt