HANDS OFF FURTHER EDUCATION, SAY LIB DEMS

3.02.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sun 19th Jul 2009

BRISTOL City Council's ruling Liberal Democrats are furious about threatened cuts in further education - particularly in English classes for foreign-language speakers, including Somali and Muslim learners in the city.

They are backing a motion to this week's full council meeting (21st July) demanding an urgent meeting with the City of Bristol College, which is set to cut the City Academy's ESOL spending and other adult learning budgets by up to 70 per cent.

The motion, put forward by John Kiely (Lib Dem, Easton), calls on the council to lobby Gordon Brown to reverse further education cuts generally in the greater Bristol area.

The motion says: "Council views with alarm the funding crisis that has engulfed further education locally.

"Not only have we seen threatened cuts to staff at the City of Bristol College, but real cuts in vital courses and staff redundancies at the City Academy - as well as course reductions in sport and other courses at Filton College, which also serves students across the greater Bristol area.

"This Labour government has stated that they want to invest in education and training to help the country through the recession.

"But cutting these courses will have a devastating impact on some of the most vulnerable in our community. These budget reductions will fall disproportionately on those in the ethnic community, particularly Somali and Muslim learners.

"Council asks the cabinet to seek an urgent meeting with the City of Bristol College to ask them not to cut the City Academy ESOL and other adult learning budgets by 70 per cent.

"Council also resolves to lobby Gordon Brown to honour his pledge and reverse these damaging cuts to our further education programme here in the Greater Bristol area."

Please contact Councillor Kiely on 07779 570 915 for more details