It’s no secret that after decades of cuts, adult learning remains woefully underfunded whilst continuing to deliver impressive outcomes not just in skills but for health and wellbeing, work progression and community cohesion amongst others.
The government is currently looking at where to wield its axe as they present their first major Spending Review later this spring.
The Spending Review is when the Treasury determines how much money each government department will have for the next few years, so they can set their priorities accordingly.
A poor settlement for the Department for Education could have a serious knock-on effect for adult learning.
We have made our formal submission to the Treasury, making the case to protect budgets and provide further investment, to prioritise essential skills and to innovate across government. But we will be one of thousands of organisations making the case for further investment within their area, so it's time for some public pressure to ensure our case is heard.
Between now and late Spring, there are three actions you can take.
- Contact your MP – request that your MP writes to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to ask that adult learning is protected and invested in during the next Spending Review. Share our list of asks with them and let them know why you think adult learning is truly transformational.
- Share your story – whether it’s telling your friends or local media about the impact adult learning had on you or getting in contact with us so we can share your story nationally, the more we shout about the power of adult learning, the harder it is to ignore.
- Contact your Metro Mayor – if you live in a mayoral combined authority, your mayor is responsible for how the adult education budget is spent locally. Write to your mayor or attend one of their local events and ask that they push back against this cut or ensure it is phased over three years. If you live in a mayoral combined authority, your mayor has already been asked to make a cut from next year's budget of between 2%-3%...
You can find a mini version of our Spending Review, a template letter for your MP and all our Spending Review asks here Protect adult learning | WEA.
