Fall-off in numbers spells end to courses

The fate of community education hangs in the balance after course numbers fell drastically in Manawatu this year.

Hundreds of adult classes have been canned at schools like Feilding High School and Queen Elizabeth College after funding dried up and student enrolments dropped.

A $13.1 million funding cut for Adult Community Education (ACE) was announced in the 2009 Budget.

Community Learning Centre manager Jo Brew said ACE student numbers are down by two-thirds at Feilding High School, leaving the future of adult education uncertain.

Increasing class prices and the loss of advertising funds was a major blow to student enrolments, she said.

The number of advertising brochures produced dropped from 10,500 to 1000 while class prices rose between $5 and $90, following the funding cut.

The Community Learning Centre faces a review in May that will decide its fate depending on class numbers.

Ms Brew is calling on the community to rescue adult education.

"Without community support we are going to struggle to maintain a presence in the community."

Education Minister Stephen Joyce said there is no doubting that adult education courses benefit students, but questioned whether taxpayers should foot the bill.

"We support continuing education and will continue to support courses that deliver clear economic benefits. We simply cannot justify spending millions of dollars of taxpayers money on courses that do not clearly deliver these benefits."

The government is focusing on courses that provide work skills, lead to qualifications or focused on adult literacy and numeracy, ESOL and Te Reo Maori, he said.

Labour spokesperson for tertiary education Maryan Street said community education faces a "grim future".

Last year 220,000 people enrolled in community courses; Ms Street expects 10 per cent of that this year.

"We will be lucky to reach 20,000 people this year. It's a real tragedy.

"This is a decade whole tradition that's been dismantled."

She said hardest hit by the cuts are migrants, refugees, elderly and people returning to work.

One elderly widow told Ms Street: "This has kept me from quite frankly doing myself in and succumbing to loneliness."

Queen Elizabeth College classes have fallen from 70 courses to four in 12 months – a 95 per cent decrease. Course prices also rose to cover wages and course materials.

Executive officer Pearl Parker said everyone from school leavers to retirees attend courses.

"Lots of people come to classes and they springboard from there to something else."

Although only four of 20 classes are full this term, Ms Parker remains optimistic.

"I'm hopeful for the future that [classes] will continue."

Horowhenua College has also seen a drastic drop, going from 109 courses to one defensive-driving course, Ms Street said.

 Sign classes cancelled, page 5

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