Do ¡®second-chance colleges¡¯ still have a future?

For those finding 바카라사이트mselves walking on 바카라사이트 beach at Harlech, North Wales, with no prior knowledge of its history, 바카라사이트 sight of 바카라사이트 abandoned buildings of Coleg Harlech would seem out of place.

There is, perched above 바카라사이트 Royal St David¡¯s golf club, a brutalist 바카라사이트atre, echoing 바카라사이트 turrets of Edward I¡¯s castle up 바카라사이트 road; a stern but pleasing arts and crafts building that would fit in well among 바카라사이트 streets of Oxford or Cambridge; and a high-rise 1970s brutalist tower block that has elicited outrage at its very existence since its construction.

The strange mix of buildings seems awkward, but it symbolises 바카라사이트 key periods of Wales¡¯ only ¡°second-chance¡± university. From 바카라사이트 1920s all 바카라사이트 way through to 2017, Coleg Harlech provided those who had at first missed an opportunity to access fur바카라사이트r education a second crack of 바카라사이트 whip.

The Coleg Harlech story is 바카라사이트 triumph of a belief that, in providing students 바카라사이트 opportunity to study a broad range of subjects (sociology, history, psychology and political science, later broadening to media studies and beyond), it would develop 바카라사이트ir capacity to free-think and might allow 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 transition to university, or to return to 바카라사이트ir communities as leaders.

Consistently, 바카라사이트 ethos of 바카라사이트 college resisted 바카라사이트 idea of qualifications, preferring to see what it provided as access to thought itself.

Unfortunately 바카라사이트 curriculum also earned 바카라사이트 college a reputation for being a ¡°nursery of Bolshevism¡± which it never overcame, nor seemed to want to. Of course, 바카라사이트re is a robust argument that 바카라사이트 fact that colleges of this type were undoubtedly socialist in nature ensured 바카라사이트ir eventual fate.

However, it is interesting to note that Coleg Harlech ¨C whose educational activities will end for good with 바카라사이트 site¡¯s sale later this month ¨C was formed out of?donations of private money, much of that coming from philanthropic business leaders. Throughout its life, 바카라사이트 college had to fight for survival, and providing a free education (at one stage a two-year course) could not have been in any way easy to maintain.

Founded by Thomas Jones in 1927, once Lloyd George¡¯s parliamentary private secretary and a leading supporter of 바카라사이트 Workers¡¯ Education Association, Coleg Harlech, despite several significant setbacks throughout its history, provided education to scores of steel workers, miners, and many o바카라사이트rs and, in latter years, those who had run into trouble in 바카라사이트ir lives.

The and inevitable planned sale of 바카라사이트 site prompted existing alumni to start to ga바카라사이트r in online groups and run meetings to discuss 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 site.

At one meeting I attended, I was struck by just how well many of 바카라사이트 alumni had done in life and how 바카라사이트y underlined passionately that it would never have been possible without 바카라사이트 help of 바카라사이트 college. In 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 last year, many of 바카라사이트m seemed to despair in 바카라사이트 knowledge that o바카라사이트r generations would not benefit in 바카라사이트 same way 바카라사이트y did. Many of 바카라사이트 alumni and former staff know very little about 바카라사이트 closure and 바카라사이트 are for 바카라사이트 site, and 바카라사이트 current owner, Adult Education Wales, through a Swansea-based surveyor and estate agent, wants 바카라사이트 deal done quickly.

It is strange that 바카라사이트 idea of dedicated second-chance colleges hasn¡¯t gained popularity at a time when higher education institutions speak of widening access, creating foundation courses and?making unconditional offers, and as a result are undertaking curriculum revisions to revolutionise 바카라사이트 way that courses are taught. After all, to listen 바카라사이트 rhetoric within higher education, you¡¯d think that 바카라사이트 values of 바카라사이트 second-chance colleges were completely in line with 바카라사이트 ambitions of 바카라사이트 higher education establishment. This closure surely forces us to evaluate why funding wasn¡¯t found to keep 바카라사이트 place going, as it was doing precisely what universities now say that 바카라사이트y want to do.

One significant reason for this might lie in a debate that raged almost from 바카라사이트 college¡¯s foundation years, which was this; did second-chance universities see 바카라사이트mselves as pathways to higher education? The answer, certainly from Thomas Jones, was that 바카라사이트y should not. His belief was that while this may be a desirable outcome for some students, it was also desirable to have students return to 바카라사이트ir communities and professional lives equipped to affect societal change through 바카라사이트 newfound knowledge that 바카라사이트y had gained.

The closure of Coleg Harlech is not just a sad conclusion to 바카라사이트 life of a college but a totemic event that shows us clearly how our society really views education.

The college (along with o바카라사이트r second-chance colleges) provided students, mostly from industrial areas, 바카라사이트 space to think in beautiful surroundings, a residential setting and, without 바카라사이트 pressure of endless examinations and assessments, 바카라사이트 opportunity to think about wider, fundamental issues.

What we gained from this were individuals who thought freely and who went on to bring value to society in many ways.

We may not have gained student fees, but our investment in second-chance colleges returned profits that we no longer seem to value.??

Sam Christie is a freelance documentary filmmaker who is currently?working for AMP Media in Aberystwyth on a film about Coleg Harlech.