To think night classes don't seem to exist anymore?

[Mongrelsrbeautiful]

Will soon have more time on my hands and have been looking at local colleges. What's happened to night classes? In the past you could do anything from cake decorating to Italian, to car maintenance. There seems to be nothing going on for adults in my area. Are night classes a thing of the past?

There's an adult education college near me, runs loads of stuff

You might find someone like a local artist or craftsperson who runs some kind of classes. There are some on my local Next Door.

I can’t wait for Labour to get in -then all the cuts will be put back, the NHS will run like clockwork, all the potholes filled - aaaah, Labour and their magic money tree.

Lots of courses in my local area, try looking at churches, libraries too they run various courses or if it is for fun there are a ton of clubs they hold. Good luck, hope you find something of interest!

There should be some sort of directory to find courses. And include offerings from libraries etc

Ive done a few over the years - all at FE colleges in the evening.

ive just checked and they do still seem to be running (north west)

Uni of Liverpool runs continuing education courses, short course, evening or weekend last time I looked. Might be worth seeing if any of the unis offer this?

We really need to learn Spanish.
I have tried every avenue I can think of, U3A, local FE college, Facebook etc.
Nothing available in person 😕

I worked in a sixth form college from 2004-2006, my manager was in charge of the night school programmes and the general office in the day. When I started, I didn’t have the greatest IT skills so they suggested I do the ECDL (courses were free for staff). They did everything from watercolour painting to French conversation. Courses were usually just over £100 with discounts for low earners/benefit claimants.

Did that and then the following year enrolled for the advanced ECDL. I was met at the door by my manager who said the government had pulled all funding for adult learners and they could no longer run the classes, as they’d have to charge 5x (or something like that) and it was now unaffordable.

The PM then was Tony Blair, as far as I’m aware, he was a Labour PM. It follows then, that the education secretary (either Alan Johnson or Ruth Kelly) were also Labour cabinet ministers.

does It have to be night? What about trying other business models? For instance local to me is one of those farm shop/ lots of mini businesses type places that have artists/ photographer/ cafe and also spaces for classes. I went to baby classes there but I do remeber arty workshops being advertised.

There’s one of those not too far from me @Nutellaonall , no good if you work FT though. Those times are only really suitable for the retired or those who are SAHP with school age kids.

100% this.

Nope, started under Blair with his obsession for 16-21 year olds, our local colleges both stopped all evening "adult" education about 20 years ago. All resources now aimed at 16-18 year olds. Both places are in darkness at night except for the sports centres. I used to teach accounting as evening classes in one which was mostly adults - they closed the entire accounting dept 20 years ago!

Labour don't have a magic money tree, most people understand that so you're being somewhat patronising. It's the utterly self-serving behaviour of Tory ministers and MPs that has infuriated many voters.

Donkeys years ago when my parents first moved to London my DF wanted to broaden his friendship circle so went to pottery and French evening classes, and met people who became lifelong friends of the family.

Such a shame that simple good things like evening classes like that fall by the wayside thanks to years and years of Tories ruining the country.

Good that someone else remembers what actually happened and who was in power at the time!

You never know there might be evening options too.__

Adult education was more necessary in the past because the education offered as children was often rudimentary/incomplete. Many people left at 14 or 15 with no skills or qualifications.

That's not the case now. Why would the government pay or subsidise for you to learn cake decorating?

There are probably private courses on evenings and weekends you can take.

I loved night classes. I did a level 3 BTEC 2 nights a week and Spanish GCSE and A level. It's such a pity.

Remember that half the issue is not just running these its staffing them.

Not many people with the necessary skills want to work those evenings.

Do you actually mean that councils can't afford to pay enough to make it worthwhile? As in your other post you say "There are probably private courses on evenings and weekends you can take."

You can still access all these things. They just aren't funded and organised by the state.

There are gardening, painting, knitting/sewing and language clubs near me. There are choirs, amateur orchestras, fitness classes.

You just need to find and pay for them yourself. My parents have done languages and flower arranging, a choir run by a local music teacher and an it skills course.

DM went to an abundance of these kinds of classes (day and evening) in the 80s and 90s. When I moved to my area in the early 2000s, my area didn't have the diversity that hers did and was much more academic skills and qualifcation based.

Online options strip away 90% of the point of these classes. Most people DM went with were there for social reasons, having some external structure in life and the course tended to be something of mild interest. Getting out to classes, having routine and being with actual people was a valuable lifeline when DM was abruptly widdowed in her 50s.

Depends a bit on topic you want to study.
https://www.wea.org.uk/
They have courses all over the uk.
U3A?
Your library may have a list? Have you searched socials or local Unis for local courses?

Barely enough money to fund education for the 5-18’s, so the adults can whistle.

This is so sad isn't it. Years of cut backs and underfunding.

My college still offers evening courses in things like cake decorating, welding and photography (as well as some Highers, though it is just Maths English and Biology nowadays). You'd have to come to Scotland though, and our FE is currently being eroded.