Women praised for college success

2:50am Friday 9th May 2008

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Two women who have overcome barriers to achieve academic success have been rewarded for their efforts.

Despite being deaf and blind Amanda Schofield, 35, is a competitive horse rider who has learned British Sign Language (BSL) and gained a BTEC diploma in riding and stable management at Bradford College.

Her achievement will be rewarded with a Regional Individual Learner Award from NIACE.

Miss Schofield, of Queensbury, has been blind since a baby and lost most of her hearing capability aged 13 - which spurred her on to learning BSL.

She said: "I think it's important to learn now before my hearing gets worse."

Miss Schofield's BSL skills form the basis for the hands-on method of communication used by deafblind people, which she also uses.

Other students on the riding and stable management course at Bradford College have also learnt to communicate with her using the hands-on method.

Miss Schofield said: "I couldn't have done it without my guide dog, Ashton. The riding has given me a purpose and is a positive experience for me. It has improved my balance and increased my confidence."

Also celebrating today is mature student and single mum Claire Wright, 33, who has gone from studying GCSE maths to becoming a PhD student in the space of six years.

Her achievement is set to be marked by an Outstanding Regional Learner of the Year Award from the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), as part of nationwide Adult Learners' Week - which runs this year from Saturday, May 17, to Friday, May 23.

At the age of 25 and unemployed, Miss Wright, of Shipley, decided to return to college to study maths and gain a qualification while pregnant with her daughter.

"Going back into education was almost accidental" she said.

"I did it because I didn't know what else to do.

"I hated the idea of being a single mum with no job and no home of my own. I applied for work but could not even get a job interview once I had declared I was pregnant. I thought that going back into education and getting my GCSE maths would at least give me something to do and possibly open up some job opportunities."

Spurred on by GCSE success, she moved on to study A-levels at night school.

"I did better in these than I ever could have imagined and decided to apply for university," she said.

At 29 she was accepted on to a biomedical sciences degree at the University of Bradford, eventually gaining a first-class pass.

Now, Miss Wright is studying for a PhD - focusing on new ways to control the spread of superbugs - and rates her decision to return to education as "one of the best decisions" in her life.

The pair's efforts have brought them individual praise from David Lammy MP, Government minister for skills.

Paying tribute to the pair he said: "I never fail to be inspired by the stories I hear about learners achievements.

"Claire and Amanda's hard work confirms my belief that improving your skills can be a life changing experience."

Any adults wanting to improve their skills can call 0800 100 900 to find out about courses in the Bradford area.

e-mail: dan.webber @telegraphandargus.co.uk