A quick  lunch before  I head into a Select Committee.   Out in the electorate this morning, the rising tide of anger about the cuts to Adult and Community Education shows no sign of abating.  Letters, emails etc are pouring in to all MPs.  I think Anne Tolley will have to do something as the campaign is not going to let up.  In the meantime here is an extract from one of the letters I received this week that sums up a lot of the feelings out there.

I have been involved in adult learning as a student on and off for nearly ten years and would like to tell you how much these programmes mean to me. Over the years I have learnt how to make a mosaic, I’ve dyed silk scarves, built pots out of clay, extended my knowledge of French and been taught the skills to run a small business. These courses have enabled me to learn new things and meet lots of people but they also offer me so much more. Although these things may just be considered hobbies, to me they give me a greater sense of self-esteem and a feeling of connection to my community. Night classes have taught me new skills, but also give me the opportunity to meet people from many diferent walks of life who I wouldn’t otherwise meet. Boredom is the cause of everything, and I’d hate to think what would happen if we weren’t to have such a wide range of accessible classes available to us.

The value of this kind of education is not just of in terms of increasing skills and contributing to the economy, it is about developing communities and improving the well-being of individuals. Limiting access as National are doing will do great damage to our communities.