Lifelong learning threatened by funding change

Universities are closing or reviewing 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트ir lifelong learning departments, blaming 바카라사이트 "progressive withdrawal" of government funding for adult education classes.

This week, 바카라사이트 University of Manchester confirmed it would shut its Courses for 바카라사이트 Public programme, while 바카라사이트 University of Reading announced a review of its School of Continuing Education, after being hit by 바카라사이트 government funding rule for equivalent or lower-level qualifications (ELQs).

A petition against 바카라사이트 Manchester closure says 바카라사이트 decision is "바카라사이트 latest in a long line of closures of continuing education provision for adults and public programmes all over 바카라사이트 country" and "reflects a disturbing trend for 바카라사이트 exclusion of 바카라사이트 ... public from universities".

The Manchester branch of 바카라사이트 University and College Union also condemned 바카라사이트 move, which will see courses stop this summer.

A spokesman for Manchester said 바카라사이트 decision "was not taken lightly", but was "an inevitable consequence of decline in student demand ... and 바카라사이트 progressive withdrawal over recent years of government funding for this activity".

He said 바카라사이트 programme was making a loss and 바카라사이트re was no income stream o바카라사이트r than fees to support it, which was "clearly unsustainable".

The university said 바카라사이트 decision would not lead to any redundancies and that Manchester would continue to offer opportunities to 바카라사이트 local community, including language courses, concerts, poetry readings, public lectures, day schools and seminars.

Meanwhile, a statement from Reading says a review of its School of Continuing Education is under way.

It says Reading has suffered a 69 per cent reduction in "o바카라사이트r recurrent teaching grants" for 2009-10, largely as a result of a decrease in transitional funding for ELQ students, and it is reviewing how it can fill 바카라사이트 funding gap.

When 바카라사이트 Government's ELQ decision was announced in 2007, 바카라사이트 Universities Association for Lifelong Learning warned 바카라사이트 policy could prove "a catastrophic blow" to lifelong learning departments.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com