The 157 Group has commented on the publication of the government’s response to last year’s consultation which proposed an expansion of the system of adult Further Education loans.
Dr Lynne Sedgmore CBE, executive director of the 157 Group, said, “This decision must be seen in the context of the release earlier today of the government’s consultation on the future of adult vocational education. We believe that the system in the future must ensure equality of access for adults to a wide range of educational possibilities, and, in that respect, the decision not to extend the availability of loans at this stage is something of a missed opportunity.
“The time has come to rebalance and be clear about the extent to which we expect the government, employers and individuals to fund adult learning – the dual mandate consultation provides an opportunity to do that. In the meantime, however, we must remember that the lack of availability of loans for significant numbers of adults at the same time as a reduction in government grant funding for adult learning will leave a large funding gap for the next two years.
“We will be working hard with all government departments to ensure that we have an equitable, transparent and flexible approach to all adult education funding into the future – even in the context of reducing public funding.”