Reading West MP Martin Salter has written to Reading University’s Vice Chancellor urging him to reconsider the closure of the School of Continuing Education. He believes the effect will be far reaching as there are currently 2,500 people following courses in the school every year, with 50% of them being retired.

Mr Salter has also signed the online petition against the closure. Established by Lindsay Mullaney and Paul Kingston, the petition already has nearly 800 signatures. The decision comes after a recent assessment of the school rated it as excellent, and the review into the closure noted that the level of teaching was very high.

Mrs Mullaney is attempting to work with the university to either deliver the programmes as they are currently set or find ways of fitting them in if the school closes. They already have groups of tutors looking to continue the short courses on their own, running them out of church halls and other local venues. Many people who were never given the opportunity to go to university before have taken the short courses as access to then go on and get a degree in later life.

The decision is due to be discussed at the University Senate on the 6^th May and finalised on the 7^th July.

Mrs Mullaney, in a question to Reading Borough Council 31^st March 2009 said: -

“This decision by the University marks another regrettable stage in the distancing of the University from the town”.

Mrs Mullaney added: -

“If the university does end its provision of short courses I hope that they will take care to cooperate with others to ensure that this excellent service will continue in some form. If this campaign works with current tutors to carry forward short courses in Reading, this will be one of the first examples of the grass roots development of informal adult learning envisaged by the Secretary of State for Learning and Skills, John Denham, in his recent white paper ‘The Learning Revolution’.

Mr Salter said:-

“I have written to the Vice Chancellor because closing the School of Continuing Education would be a great loss to both tutors and students alike. They were obviously providing a great service, with the recent “excellent rating” by the inspectors. Going back to university is an exceptionally brave decision, and this a barrier to those who choose to do so. Mrs Mullaney is running an excellent campaign, and I would encourage all those who feel passionately about this issue to sign the petition and visit the website www.reading-ace.org.uk.”