Education

October 2009 - Adult and Communit Education (ACE)

There has been a huge public outcry since the government cut adult and community education (ACE) in the tertiary sector by nearly half, and cut all but 20 percent of the ACE funding for schools in the May budget.

The National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ) passed policy at the recent National Executive Meeting stating "that NCWNZ urges the Government to reinstate full funding to all Adult and Community Education (ACE) programmes".

In a letter to the Minister, NCWNZ stressed that ACE enables people, especially women, to develop the skills to prepare them for the future. The letter also noted the many benefits to local communities, especially those in rural New Zealand and the strong national existing infrastructure of people and resources which has been built up over many years.

The use of the assets of the local community secondary school, outside regular school hours, enabled ACE to be accessible and affordable for everyone. Also all schools receiving ACE funding are required to give 9.5% of their funding to local community groups to run courses. Groups such as Citizens Advice Bureaux, Parent Help groups, Youthline, Women's Refuges, and Budgeting Services, all services used by women in particular, and they will now have to seek funding from other providers to support their educational activities.