HUDDERSFIELD’S rich tradition of adults learning for the sheer love of it is in danger of being lost.
The lack of cultural and leisure courses on offer this year, coupled with the dramatic reduction in community venues, is threatening the future of adult learning in Kirklees.
That’s the view of Linda Croft, Kirklees and Calderdale organiser for the Workers Educational Association (WEA).
She said: “In this area we have a wonderful heritage of people wanting to study for the love of learning or personal interest.
“We are finding that this is being eroded all over the place. The opportunities are disappearing in a very alarming way.”
The WEA was set up in 1903 to offer education to adults of all backgrounds and to encourage people to engage in education. It is the largest voluntary sector provider, running classes for 80,000 adults in Britain.
Linda Croft’s comments follow the Examiner story in August resulting from the publication of Kirklees College’s adult learning prospectus for 2011/12.
Government funding channelled towards getting young people back to work and a 10% cutback have caused the college to review all of its courses.
As a result, very few leisure courses will be held in local communities. Almost all of Huddersfield’s courses have been moved to the college’s own centralised premises.
In addition, the range of subjects covered has been slashed and languages have disappeared completely.
However, there are a limited number of courses on offer for adults through the University of the Third Age (U3A) and the WEA.
The U3A caters for the over-50s and, like this term’s WEA courses, all classes are being held during the day.
U3A has a range of courses starting this autumn, including fitness classes, languages, walking groups, IT and several crafts, including embroidery, woodcarving and painting.
Applicants must first join the U3A for the year, which costs £10, and each course costs £8 for a semester.
U3A committee member Kathleen Robinson said: “All is not lost just yet. We currently have over 2,000 members in Kirklees and would encourage anyone to come and see us to see if we can help them.
“Some of our classes are already full, but people can get more information and bear us in mind for next term.
“We have had people join us who used to attend adult education classes in the past, but they have got very expensive for some people.”
Anyone interested should attend Huddersfield library at The Piazza on Saturdays between 10am and noon or Wednesdays between 1pm and 3pm.
The WEA has just announced five courses for the general public, all starting at the end of the month. They are: Geohazards, Inspired by the Brontes, Mineral and Man and two courses on the Luddites.
All Kirklees WEA courses are currently run in conjunction with museums and the classes are held at Red House Museum, Gomersal, or Tolson Memorial Museum, Huddersfield.
Linda added that in other areas, the WEA ran courses in partnership with local community organisations and charities.
Fees for WEA courses are £60 for 10 sessions, £3 for concessions. Anyone interested in joining or discussing putting more courses on should contact Linda Croft on 01706 818 103, email: lcroft@wea.org.uk
