Many people will have seen the article on the WEA in the Guardian on 15th April. You can read it here.
In it, Mike Baker suggests that the government may be suffocating adult education and illustrates this by extensive comments on the WEA.
It's a welcome, if surprising, article and a fascinating series of responses in the accompanying blog.
We need to look at this and think carefully. The current evidence is that (despite what some journalists seem to think) the WEA is an organisation which works within the community and in many communities and brings in a high proportion of adults returning to education each year (about 50%). Moreover, it works with some of the most marginalised and disadvantaged communities in the country and the LSC's own data shows that. We can't do that without public funding and the learners in these courses are less likely to be vocal on this issue.
At the same time we want to continue to run provision for everyone and with fair fees that recognise ability to pay. It is likely that the WEA is now the biggest provider of Humanities education outside of schools and universities in England.
The WEA and comprehensive education have a long relationship and we need to reinforce the case for educational opportunities for all adults, without ghettoes or clubs. WEA tutors, students, volunteers and staff know that; their commitment to the principles of the Association continue to be evident - not least in the recent Ofsted report. We can't do this without public funding and, at the moment, that comes largely from the Learning & Skills Council. We need to fight for that money and, at the same time, fight for a sensible regulation of its use which supports high quality learning and access for all.
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