Don't let the sun set on night classes

Education - a Workers Issue

Workers Rights activists, attended the Stop Night Class Cuts rally in the Cathedral Square Saturday which drew about 200 opponents of the governments, short sighted decision by the to cut 80% funding to school based Adult Community Education .

Organised by the PPTA and Class (Community Learning Association Through Schools) the rally was one of many held nationwide in a National Day of Action and followed on from the successful meeting at Papanui High School in late July where 500 packed the school hall to hear from both supporters and opponents of the of the disastrous cuts.

An informal survey shows at least 25% of schools currently offering adult community education (ACE) courses will be calling it quits, thanks to an 80% cut in their government funding. If the $16 million funding cut goes ahead only three out of 11 Wellington schools currently offering ACE programmes will continue to do so. In Dunedin it is likely there will be no night classes at all.

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Boozing – a Government Issue

Several of those speaking from the platform noted the emotional and social cost of losing community based education and with it a further fracture of social cohesion – a matter of little concern to the Government more interested in ensuring that those who attend the Rugby World Cup will “have a good time, go back with memories, maybe a hangover or two”.

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On the same day that PM Key was enthusing about the seventy six million dollar ‘party central’, it was announced that one in six New Zealanders are being born into poverty – with 20,000 more children dependent on social welfare than a year ago.

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