Osborne £3bn cuts - Business, Innovation, Skills: £450m

Other developed and developing countries are trying to "up skill" (their populations (though I do hate that term). We, it seems, are doing the opposite.

Also, the term "education" seems to be defined in much narrower terms than in the past. Although the acquisition of literacy, numeracy and computer skills is essential, in my view education should also be about enabling people to develop interests and goals that do not specifically relate to their employment but which provide other less quantifiable benefits, such as a feeling of wellbeing and self-esteem.

Here in east London, the adult education service has been drastically cut and I assume the same applies elsewhere.

At the same time, lots of private literacy and numeracy skills providers have sprung up all over the place. They are often tucked away in very small premises and I wonder how effectively these providers are monitored, or if they are monitored in a meaningful way at all.

(What does E & EO mean please?)

Gracesgran I've just seen your explanation of E & EO on another thread. .

I often wonder where the idea education of he whole person has gone too Eloethan and just where "Cuts to further and higher education and departmental efficiency savings" will take us.

I know FE colleges are cutting in all the ways they can and wonder what effect this will have on HE. Of course there are areas where high salaries could be held back but, in the NHS I seem to remember jobs at the top of the salary scale being deemed redundant, their incumbents going with well negotiated redundancy pay and then popping back up in short shrift in a job with a different title. I don't have much hope that sensible cuts will actually be made in FE and HE.

Aren't sixth form colleges also hit in this cut? School sixth forms are funded differently to sixth form colleges.
I can see strikes in the offing, if there are any union members left to strike.