Adult Education - Fees and Cutbacks

Adult education is in crisis.

Mike Baker, of BBC News highlights that

The number of adults in FE, aged over 19, fell last year by 16.9%. That represents almost 600,000 fewer adults on courses in FE Colleges. There was a further fall of almost 10% in the numbers on Adult and Community Learning. That is some 85,000 fewer people taking the variety of day and evening classes run by local councils. Taken together that is a staggering total of close to 700,000 adults who are no longer on courses at sub-degree level.

That is seven Wembley stadiums worth of adult learners. It dwarfs the tiny drop in applications to university this year.

It's due to a dramatic rise in course fees and a restriction in course choice. Part-time and full-time ESOL (English as a Second or Other Language) courses will now also come under attack with government plans to raise fees for those who are not in benefit or who are not refugees.

Does this make any sense at all, when the government goes on and on about community cohesion and integration?