“There is always a choice – National just took ours away”

Community Learning Association through schools (CLASS)

Media Release – Embargoed until Wednesday 29th July 2009

Communities nationwide are outraged at the government decision to cut funding to schools for night classes. This has resulted in public meetings in Auckland and Christchurch drawing hundreds of supporters. The Education Minister responsible for the cuts, Anne Tolley, justified the government decision saying they had no choice and that the recession and a focus on improving the country's workforce skill base were more important.

Those attending the Christchurch meeting on Monday night disagreed. “There is always a choice - National just took ours away. They didn’t even warn us. Isn’t community education about the community? Why wasn’t I asked about this decision? What the government is doing is wrong” says 59 year old learner - Wayne Taite.

“I like the range of courses offered at my local school”, says Nane Raina, “isn’t it up to learners to decide what they want to learn?” 

Maryke Fordyce, the President of the Community Learning Association through Schools (CLASS), the organisation representing the 212 schools that provide night classes agrees.  “The government has placed schools in an untenable position tantamount to educational sabotage. Principals and Boards of Trustees nationwide will be meeting over the next month to decide what the future holds for school based Adult and Community Education (ACE)”.

Without government funding Fordyce predicts that most schools will withdraw from ACE. Learners will not enrol if course fees triple in price.

“National has left schools to bear the brunt of their decision with local communities. One of the worst aspects of this whole debacle is that the community and schools were not consulted. In the past, government has always insisted that schools engage and adopt a collaborative approach with their local community. We are shocked that now the government chooses to leave the very people affected by the night class cuts out of the whole process.”

Fordyce believes the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) is railroading schools into making decisions without community consultation. She says most schools found out last Monday that they have until 31st July to make a decision..

“Kiwis have survived two world wars and a global depression and still managed to support night classes in schools. Night classes have been a way of life for many New Zealanders for more than 100 years.. It is during these times of uncertainty that the country needs to hold to tradition and those values that have enabled Kiwis to weather the hard times – night classes build positive communities of learning and endeavour. National has a historical and social obligation to support all forms of learning especially night classes”. 

Last week a statement from Minister Tolley said it would cost $67 million to keep funding ACE courses however Fordyce questions the figures. “The total cost of ACE through schools is $16 million a year, (has been so for the past 10 years) - just over half a percent of the total Tertiary Education budget - this includes courses, administration, tutors, coordinators and infrastructure. Over 200,000 learners benefit from night classes annually. The government would be lying to call what is offered next year community education because the community had nothing to do with this decision.  Make no bones about it – next year is the year of what National wants – by not consulting communities it has cut through years of relationship building with community organisations and has chopped the heart out of a robust infrastructure supporting lifelong learning and New Zealanders.”

More public meetings will take place in Mana and Newlands in Wellington this Thursday.

CLASS is urging the government to reinstate all funding to schools next year as it continues to run its Public campaign “Stop Night Class Cuts”.  

Ends

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