Agenda item

Adult Education Funding

It was moved by Councillor Jackie Drayton, seconded by Councillor Anne Murphy, that this Council:-

(a)       notes with regret that the Government has cut adult education spending by 24% this year, and that this is on top of a £1bn reduction in real terms between 2013/14 and 2009/10 under the Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which resulted in 17% fewer adult learners;

(b)       believes that:

(i)         adult education and skills is life-changing for many people; as well as helping people into employment, it improves health and wellbeing, contributes to social inclusion, and helps to build more resilient communities;

(ii)        strategic, long-term investment in adult education and skills is needed to improve the skills base to drive productivity growth;

(iii)       by making further cuts to adult education and skills, the Government would be closing the door in the face of people trying to improve their prospects; and

(iv)       further cuts in post-16 education will have a disproportionate impact on disadvantaged groups, which will increase disadvantage and undermine equality of opportunity;

(c)        is concerned that the cuts suggested for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills of between 25-40% as part of the Government’s upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review will have a serious impact on the sustainability of adult education in Sheffield and across the UK; and

(d)       calls on the Government to protect the adult education budget, in particular Adult and Community Learning, from further cuts.

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Colin Ross, seconded by Councillor Vickie Priestley, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:

1.            the deletion in paragraph (a) of all the words after the words “by 24% this year”; and

2.            the addition of new paragraphs (b) and (c) as follows, and the relettering of original paragraphs (b) to (d) as new paragraphs (d) to (f):-

(b)       recognises that adult education has been underfunded for too long by successive Governments;

(c)        notes Liberal Democrat manifesto pledges to:-

(i)         establish a cross-party commission to secure a long-term settlement for the public funding of reskilling and lifelong learning;

(ii)        set up a review into the VAT treatment of Sixth Form Colleges and FE Colleges to ensure fair treatment in relation to the schools sector; and

(iii)       extend the current UK budget protection for education to include 16-19 provision.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was negatived.

(Note: Councillors Aodan Marken, Brian Webster, Robert Murphy and Sarah Jane Smalley voted for Paragraphs 1 and 2(b) and abstained on Paragraph 2(c) of the above amendment and asked for this to be recorded.)

It was then moved by Councillor Aodan Marken, seconded by Councillor Robert Murphy, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of a new sub-clause (v) in paragraph (b) as follows:-

(b)(v)   funding the teaching of English as a Second Language (ESOL) is a particularly cost-effective way of integrating communities and removing inequalities and that cuts to this area of funding significantly increase disadvantage and undermine equality of opportunity;

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-