Retraining Programmes: Adult Education (Hansard, 5 March 1981)

§ Baroness Elliot of Harwood
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The Minister of State, Department of Education and Science (Baroness Young)
My Lords, educational institutions provide opportunities for adults to continue their education at a variety of levels, from the most basic to postgraduate. Some are designed to develop attitudes, skills or qualifications of value generally in preparing to enter or re-enter employment; some to prepare more directly for particular types of employment; and others to extend or update the knowledge and skills of those already in employment.

§ Baroness Elliot of Harwood
My Lords, I am delighted to hear from my noble friend that this is a popular subject. I wonder whether there is anything more that can be done, because I have a feeling that this kind of training is very useful and that adult education colleges and classes are the ideal place for this to be done. I hope very much that more encouragement will be given to people and that more classes will be provided, if they are really wanted.

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, we recognise that educational institutions have a very important contribution to make in providing adults with the skills necessary to meet the needs of industry and commerce. We also recognise that, sometimes, they have not responded as quickly or as effectively as they might. We therefore issued for discussion last October a paper which sought to identify the problems and to suggest solutions, with a possible programme of action for improving the situation.

§ Baroness David
My Lords, is the Minister aware that some university departments of education are doing something quite positive about this? The Manchester department of adult education is setting up courses for professional people who have become unemployed, and the Nottingham department of adult education is also setting up short courses in new technology. Can it be hoped that the Government will give financial aid to these places, because adult education has been so appallingly treated in the way of cuts over the last several years?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I welcome the points that the noble Baroness made about the universities. I can confirm that we have maintained, in real terms, the level of direct funding to the WEA, to the extramural departments of universities, to the national associations of the National Federation of Women's Institutes and the National Union of Townswomen's Guilds and to the long-term residential colleges, all of which contribute to adult education.

§ Lord Davies of Leek
My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that yesterday this House had an excellent debate on the problems of unemployment in the regions? It was made clear by both sides of the House, in particular by the noble Baroness, Lady Seear, and others interested in education that there is great concern about training for new skills. Will the Government take note of that debate, during which constructive ideas were put forward, in the light of the question which has just been asked by the noble Baroness?

§ Baroness Young
Yes, of course, my Lords; we shall take note of the debate which took place yesterday in your Lordships' House. We are very well aware of the need for institutions to respond more readily to the demands of employers and also employees to update their skills and to retrain. It is partly to identify the best way forward that we have issued our consultative document.

§ Lord Hankey
My Lords, would the Government consider whether greater use could be made of the 1504 Open University, which has done such remarkably good work in recent years?

§ Baroness Young
Yes, my Lords; the Open University is used and is a valuable contributor.

§ Baroness David
My Lords, is the Minister aware that the fees for Open University courses have gone up considerably, which makes it very much more difficult for the unemployed to take advantage of courses?

§ Baroness Young
Yes, my Lords.

§ Lord Glenamara
My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that the adult education sector is suffering more severe cuts than any other sector of the education system, and that in some local authority areas it has virtually disappeared? Does not this make nonsense of all the things which the noble Baroness has been agreeing to in this series of questions?

§ Baroness Young
No, my Lords; the formal programmes which are offered on behalf of the Manpower Services Commission are provided free of charge to the student, who also receives a significant allowance for undertaking the course. As the noble Lord will be aware, many of these courses take place in educational establishments. It is for authorities to determine the level of the fee that is charged for the general non-vocational courses that are provided for adults. Some courses are free, particularly those in basic skills such as literacy; but qualification-bearing courses, such as O- and A-level courses, have to charge a small fee, as also do courses with a direct vocational relevance. Other authorities charge what they believe to be appropriate for other non-vocational courses, and those charges can vary. But the average cost to the individual remains in the current year 41p per hour.