Jon Dale, Mansfield Socialist Party
Less than four months after winning control of Derbyshire County Council (DCC), Reform announced the closure of five adult education centres. They had already closed two other centres in July. Without any consultation, DCC gave just three days notice. Over 1,300 learners and 22 staff have been hit.
Courses at these centres give local people a better chance of getting a job or changing their type of work. They give an opportunity to people who have missed education at school for whatever reason. They are especially important to parents with young children, people with care responsibilities or disabilities; for whom travel is difficult and time limited.
A ‘Stay, Play and Learn’ course – “helping build parenting skills and giving parents the confidence to support their children’s learning” – is now only run by DCC in Buxton. A return journey from Shirebrook, where the centre has just closed, takes seven buses and an overnight stay! A parent making that journey with a young child would need to brim with confidence before starting the course!
Adult education centres also offer courses for enjoyment and to improve health, from arts and crafts to yoga – again, vital for those with restricted time and means to travel.
Socialist Party members in Shirebrook are campaigning to get the local centre re-opened. We say everyone should have access to free life-long learning.
DCC aims to ‘save’ £1 million a year through these closures. Public buildings in the heart of their communities could be sold, with property developers’ profiting.
For all Reform’s anti-establishment posturing, Reform-run DCC accepts the logic of the East Midlands Combined Authority, with its Labour mayor, that £1.3 million should be cut for adult education. This comes after years of government austerity. Spending in England on adult skills and apprenticeships has fallen 23% since 2009-10. Classroom-based adult education, as provided in these closed Derbyshire centres, has been cut over 40%.
Another 6% cut to the Adult Skills Fund has been made this year. Tory and Labour governments, a Labour mayor and now Reform DCC are all responsible. A new mass working-class party is needed committed to oppose all cuts and fight for this money back.
