Budget bad news for community education
Last week’s budget contained very bad news for Golden Bay’s two secondary schools and hundreds of keen adult learners.
School-based funding for Adult and Community Education (ACE) is to be withdrawn from next year, making classes unsustainable for our two schools. The Government has said that it will be returning about 20% of the $16million dollars to a narrower range of providers who will be obliged to focus on the Government’s key objectives: literacy and numeracy.
Collingwood Area School’s ACE co-ordinator, Wendy Drummond is angry about the decision.
“We’re running seven classes this term and I’ll be advertising another twelve for next term,” said Wendy. “It’s wrong to see these community ed classes as just “hobby classes”. This term we’re running a Mountain Safety Council class on firearm safety for example. Among other things it helps gun owners find out how to become legal. We’re also running classes in the usual types of subjects. The classes are the best way for the school to make links with its communities, and the people who come to the classes are getting involved in life-long learning, which we’ve always been told is an important thing.”
Wendy explained that a little-known function of ACE programmes in schools is to help fund training for adults in community groups.
“Nationwide, ACE put $1.6million into this training last year,” she said.
“Here at Collingwood we’ve funded training for the stream-care group and the playcentre. All that will go when they take the money away next year.”
Clare Harvey Smith, ACE co-ordinator at Golden Bay High School, said that one of the stated aims of the organisation was to enhance community cohesion.
“The community ed classes do that really well. It’s an important factor in small, isolated places like the Bay,” said Clare. “There’s the employment aspect too. Tutors and administrators will be missing out on part of their livelihood if the classes become unsustainable for schools.”
Golden Bay High School principal Roger File said that he was “very concerned” about the situation.
“With an effective 80% cut in ACE funding we’re unlikely to be able to run community education classes next year. User pays is not an option because the costs would be too high.”
The Tertiary Education Commission funds ACE providers. Its spokesperson director of community education Pauline Barnes said, “The government is seeking enhanced value for money from tertiary education spending by moving to a simpler funding system and streamlined administration. The current climate requires that savings be found. Savings have been targeted from lower-priority areas and small funds that carry significant compliance and administration costs. The Government considers that ACE can provide an important stepping stone for learners across the tertiary education system. However, its investment in this area is being reduced and refocused to areas more closely aligned with its priorities in literacy and numeracy and as a path to higher levels of education. The government has made it clear it will not continue to fund other hobby courses. The overall changes to Adult and Community Education save $67 million over the four years of this budget.”
The GB Weekly contacted local members of parliament, Chris Auchinvole and Damien O’Connor for comment.
Mr O’Connor said, “I’m dismayed at many of the decisions made in last week’s Budget. At a time when we are likely to experience more unemployment it’s bizarre to cut adult education in our communities. The National/Act government talks tough on productivity but fails to provide the tools for rural communities to up-skill and increase their knowledge through Adult Education courses. The government seems to have deserted its rural base to keep favour with urban universities and fund additional prison beds. The Budget delivered on what we should have come to expect from National governments: broken promises and cuts to services. No one should be surprised.”
Neil Wilson
