Public and Commercial Services Union

Have you ever attended adult education classes in your local area? If so, you will know what an important part they play in giving people the chance to develop their skills and in reinforcing community links.

In the last two years over 1.4 milllion adult learning places have been lost as the government has focused public funding towards longer courses and job related skills. This has led to a massive drop in working people and in pensioners taking evening and day classes.

The PCS campaign to Protect Public Services has highlighted the importance of retaining local, easily accessible services and the impact that removing them has on the community. This is as true of adult education as it is of benefits and tax offices or coastguard stations, so at the end of last year, the PCS National Executive Committee agreed to affiliate to the Campaigning Alliance for Lifelong Learning (CALL).

CALL was set up by a coalition of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) and a number of trade unions with the aim of persuading the government to restore support for adult education and acknowledge the social and community value of informal learning. It is now supported by almost 200 organisations.

National events are being supplemented by local networks and activity. If you would like to take part or get a local group going, check the callcampaign website to find out more.