Liz Bromley, Acting CEO of University Alliance commented:
“The decline in part-time and adult education has been a deeply troubling trend for the last 20 years. We’ve had report after report warning about the long-term consequences and government after government pledging to tackle it – but we’re still not on track.
“So this report is right to highlight the huge pressure that part of the sector is now under. It mirrors the bold reforms we’ve been pushing for over the last 18 months – that unless further education is properly funded and better integrated with universities, we’re storing up serious social and economic problems for the future.
“We agree that higher education must lead the debate and reforms in this area rather than relying on government policy or compulsion through the regulator. We are pleased to see Alliance members highlighted for their outstanding work in this area – but across the sector there is far more to do”.
