From a constituent. This doesn’t need any explanation. But it is worth sharing:-
Thank you for the public meeting at the Murphy’s Law Bar.You invited personal stories of where/how adult education classes benefited participants.
Briefly my story:
My father had Multiple Sclerisos and was in residential care virtually all of my early life. Mum struggled to make ends meet. She couldn’t afford furniture and went to an evening woodworking class. She created some very nice and quite complex ‘built-in’ bedroom furniture which was very much admired by others.
To asist the household budget etc., I left school at age 15 with no qualifications. I soon realised that I lacked qualifications and embarked on many years of part-time adult education classes (WEA, Open Polytechnic and several Colleges). These courses included woodworking, computer, management studies (culminating in achieving a Management Diploma by the Institute of Management) , digital camera, and Oamaru stone carving. (All of these course have enabled me to progress my skills and I have assisted others with my knowledge.).
The motivation I got from doing these course was also the catalyst to going to Victoria University for 3 years (part-time) to obtain a Diploma in Business Administration.
There is no doubt in my mind that these courses gave me tremendous confidence in my working life, enabled me to acquire skills that I would never have got otherwise, greatly enhanced my computer literacy and management acumen. I believe that these courses gave me the skills to enable me to retire at age 59.
From a governmental viewpoint it may seem patently easy to ’save money’ by just cutting out funding for adult courses, however there are other benefits/arguements that I submit are equally compelling for retention.
1. Social networking at these courses is a real benefit. Meeting other people and indeed helping other people with various projects and learning from them is vital. Giving our people the opportunity to get out from their homes and introducing them to acquire new skills is surely beneficial as it gives them a sense of purpose and achievement.
2. Having night-time courses at (say) colleges is excellent utilsation of resources/buildings. The fact that colleges are open at night is a community ‘draw-card’, there are people about and therefore vandalism is reduced. Most vandals are ‘cowards’ and will only go to unoccuppied buildings!!
3. The sense of achievement in doing these courses is my ‘high’. I simply would not have acquired my skill-set without their availablity.
4. Paul (National) made a pathetic statement about ‘Government priorities’ precluding adult education and this simply does not add up. With redundancies going on and an increasing number of older people in our community we need to add to the budget for adult education and NOT reduce it!. I urge you to use your party’s best influence to rescind this suggestion to cut funding.
Many thanks for the opportunity!
Nice message, but I’m not sure that the government will listen
It seems anything thats good for ordinary folk is a target for this government.
The Nact supporters will poo-poo this story but it perfectly illustrates that education is immensely powerful and that closing opportunities to upskill means closing opportunities to advance, to contribute, to support ourselves and others.
Let’s remember where the night class money went – to private schools. I’m not against private schools per se, I attended one. But my parents did without to send us all there. They paid, not the taxpayer.
This night class issue is small in the scheme of thing but it is part of a pattern, National saying ‘you don’t matter’. It will contribute to them being a one term wonder.
A good example of the usefulness of the internet. It has often been said that an individual with a story is far more powerful than stats or big numbers. Good on yer’mate for telling your story!
There are many stories out in the public that highlight the plight of many kiwis – I agree that it is unlikely to move a Nat – it would appear that how something effects someone/groups personally is not important. The so called consultation this govt believe takes place – esp from Tolley, is a joke. ITs lip service at best.
So Trev, just what will Labour do to turn the tide? With the greatest respect, there is much needed to be done to convince kiwis to do an about turn – and I suspect that all the PR in the world with the current leader is not going to help – nice and soft is not enough to topple mr charisma.
Great story Trevor – worthwhile posting it. I have dozens and dozens of like stories – and so does the Minister responsible for this ignorant and short-sighted funding cut because I have copies of them sent to me. There’s a difference between being a strong, decisive Minister and just being plain stubborn and out of touch. These cuts affect National Party hinterland particularly acutely. Somebody tell Mrs Tolley. Perhaps she’ll listen to somebody other than me – perhaps the tens of thousands of people who signed my petition which will be presented to Parliament next week. Let’s hope.
Paul: I think a shift will be by erosion rather than a sudden violent storm.
Yes night classes can achieve a lot for many people. But are they the most efficient way of providing adult education? Just remember for every success story there are many others who attend purely for vocation. Why should we be subsidising these people also?
Greg – We seem to be ok to pay subsidies at a much higher level for universities. And in any case if we get more people into jobs and higher paying jobs the tax return is pretty good.
Yes we do subsidise universities – but generally its not the white, middle class, and wealthy that attend. Night classes subsidise those who don’t need subsidising.
Now I know there are many great success stories from night classes. But it is not the normn. In terms of cost/benefit ratio, they must be hugely in the negatives. I’d fully support a more targeted way of funding them. But the former arrangement was simply casting the net far to wide.
Also I’ve always been curious. Why do over 60’s get student loans that they don’t have to pay back?
You’re digging yourself a hole, Greg…
How dare National cut core central government services such as silk scarf-dying courses and Moroccan cooking classes?
It would be really nice if everything everyone did could be paid for by magical fairies. I’m not being sarcastic, it would actually be great. But unfortunately, these fairies do not exist. Personally I would rather have funding for kitten-patting classes cut than have insufficient revenue to pay for important things like law and order.
What I WOULD support is fully government-funded ECON101 courses. The disbandment of the Labour party that would result from the subsequent enlightenment would make it entirely worthwhile.
[...] http://blog.labour.org.nz/index.php/2009/10/17/dont-forget-the-night-class-cuts/ [...]
The petition signing should not be seen either as a ‘last ditch’ attempt because it is far from it. For those people who has questions as to whether or not the funding was being utilised in the best way for ACE – I need to let you know, that we weren’t just ‘fighting’ this for the ACE in schools.
Although there hasn’t been as much media generated, others also lost out in our sector: ESOL (English as a Second Language), Literacy (yes the govt. said that it was a priority – but they still lost funding…) and there were others.
The slash and burn approach does not just end with ACE in schools, already Polytechnics have been given their 18mth notice that they will also come up for ‘review’ just like the schools. So what does a review look like? Well you’ve seen this years review – can’t ‘wait’ for next years!
Petition signing:
WHERE? Parliament Steps
WHEN? Tuesday 20th October 2009 12.30pm
WHY? To present petitions to Parliament requesting that the government reinstates funding for Adult and Community Education services for the 2009/10 financial year, with a reinstatement of these funds taking effect from 1 January 2010
1.00pm Parliament steps to assemble to hear speeches
If you want to comment about Adult & Community Education input into this strategy.
The Draft Tertiary Education Strategy 2010 – 2015 has just been released, and submissions are invited, to be received by Nov 6.
http://www.minedu.govt.nz/theMinistry/Consultation/TertiaryEducationStrategyDraft/Overview.aspx
http://www.minedu.govt.nz/theMinistry/Consultation/TertiaryEducationStrategyDraft/TertiaryEducationStrategySep09.aspx