Mature students face cuts blow

5:30pm Wednesday 14th June 2006

Mature students fear they could face paying up to four times as much for adult learners courses run by Bradford College this year.

The college has announced cutbacks in its further education provision because of a £1.4 million shortfall in Government funding.

From September adult education courses will not be run from the college's Burley Grange centre in Burley-in-Wharfedale.

And the college is also increasing prices of adult learner courses run elsewhere and reducing part-time lecturers' rate of pay.

It is blaming a shift in priorities in Government funding towards 16 to 19-year-olds and away from adult learning. But mature students fear the increase in the cost of course fees will prevent them continuing their courses The T&A reported last month that students were expecting the cost of 30-week courses in areas such as art and computing to increase from £60 to £96. But now one lecturer has been told 30-week courses which cost £60 last year will rise to £240.

The college lecturer, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "If this happens all it will mean the end of adult learning around Bradford because people will be priced out of the market.

"It is not just elderly people who are affected it is people who are out of work, young mums, people with learning of physical difficulties, it is all adult provision."

A Bradford College spokesman said: "The majority of Bradford College's community courses will cost either £4 or £2 an hour plus examination fees where relevant."

However the college is offering a 25 per cent discount for students who enrol on adult learner courses before August 17. This week Bradford College hosted a visit from Government Minister Bill Rammell to open the £1.5 million WOW Academy.

However Councillor Matt Palmer (Con, Wharfedale) who is campaigning to save the college's Burley Grange centre, is demanding to know why the college is investing £1.5 million in a new facility when it is making cutbacks elsewhere.

He said: "The college are closing provision in Wharfedale because of a £1.4 million deficit but they have just spent £1.5 million on virtual gloves and digital body suits. This new technology will mean nothing to staff whose salaries are being cut from as much as £26 per hour to as little as £13 per hour"

A College spokesman said: "Yorkshire Forward invested £1.5 million in the Innovative Technologies Centre based at Bradford College. The investment is absolutely unrelated to government funding for adult education."

e-mail: john.roberts@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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