To think evening class GCSE/A Level provision for adults has massively declined since 1990?

[Blakeyzbus]

The Autumn of 1990 was the first year I was looking to do a part time GCSE course as I’d left school. I lived in a city and there were these huge paper supplements with the local newspaper that had loads of A level and GCSE courses you could choose from at different venues within the city. Fast forward to 2025 and I find that GCSE / A Level night school provision is thin on the ground in the same city.

I suppose I’m thinking this because it’s approaching end of August/ beginning of September.
Any thoughts?

Government funding has been cut back and focus is more on basic subjects like Numeracy and Literacy and work based skills. You can still find them but fee paying and fewer concessions.

I’ve noticed that - in many local authorities only GCSEs are English/Maths for adult part time evening courses

Yes it has. I miss the night schools where you could learn just for no real reason. 🤷‍♀️

Its because a greater proportion of younger adults already have some GCSEs so there isn't the same demand. There's more opportunity available at school, so the people who don't go on to a-levels etc, usually its because they aren't academically inclined. Back in 1990 you still had a lot of women & people in poorer communities born in 50s and 60s who'd had far less educational opportunity at school and wanted to catch up later on, now those people have retired & aren't pursuing education in this form

I left school in 1990 and retook some GCSE,s in 1991,I don't think there's an option to do that now other than maths and English.

I agree its a combination of no subsidies and lack of demand meaning courses would be too expensive to attract enough participants. Have you found any alternatives, such as online evening classes OP? I'm doing a course with City Lit which is very nice, although I miss the social side, with it being online.

That’s interesting - I hadn’t thought about that

But thing is - there was also more A level night school provision then. I can hardly find ANY A level evening classes now!

I’ve looked into taking some a levels for fun (mainly studying the courses without sitting the exams, because they wouldn’t benefit me now), because I didn’t get the chance to do them at a level at school and I regret it. I found it’s pretty impossible to do them for free where I live

Agreed !! All I can see is Maths and English!!

FFS let’s have some variety, local authorities!!

I think free is a big ask. I don't think either of the two cities I lived in back in the olden days offered them for free. But my city doesn't seem to offer them at all these days.

You can do any other ones via online learning -I did law gcse a few years ago. Plenty of those sort of providers -£250 or so plus exan fees (organise that yourself)

Yes in my area it declined since about 2000. There used to be the option to do random GCSEs and A levels at local colleges or adult education centres, now there are just general interest courses, or if you want to go to university, you have to do an Access course.

My mum did evening classes in the 80s and got a-level equivalent qualifications for free, but yes even paid there’s nothing! You can sit them online but they’re extortionate

Funding, innit.
I was excited to see an ad for evening classes at a (vaguely) local college but it turned out to be one daytime language class and lots of evening cake decorating.
I’ve done some short language and art courses privately but I’d love a bit more choice. I’ve got a degree though, and people like me aren’t where the education budget needs spending.

I’ve found even the English quite hard to find beyond basic. I don’t like my gcse result in English and should have queried it/retaken at the time but was persuaded by head not to worry about it. I’ve looked in to it it and the courses are there but you have to find somewhere to sit the actual exam privately.

@Blakeyzbus
Where is the money coming from. Most councils are suffering from the HUGE increase to welfare support. So many are facing bankruptcy
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/oct/22/councils-england-bankruptcy-bailouts-local-government-association-survey
Adult Education classes are one of the first thing to be cut.

Majorly cut back since 2010, it's a real problem for people trying to re-enter the workforce.

It’s probably one of the things that should be prioritised because it could prevent so many issues down the line for councils (better jobs = more capital = less ASC for them to fund because of adequate capital levels)

Yes, I have noticed this where I live too. I fancied doing A level maths but the only way I could do it was to get a private tutor and then I'd need to find somewhere I could sit the exam as a private candidate. Since I would only be doing it for fun I ditched the idea as it would be far too expensive, plus I actually wanted to be in a class with other people. It definitely used to be possible to do A levels at night school but now all our local college offers for adults is stuff like Spanish for holidaymakers, arts and crafts, and basic IT skills etc. Nothing wrong with those things of course but it's disappointing that there isn't a wider choice.

It is also about availability of suitably qualified tutors. Subjects need to be in sufficient demand for classes to be economically viable and may be cancelled at short notice if enrolments are low. Tutors are employed on an hourly paid basis, with no extra time allowed for lesson preparation and marking, but are subjected to Ofsted inspections and onerous paperwork to justify any government subsidies. So many subjects can now be studied online, often for free on platforms like futurelearn or openlearn, at your convenience.

I sat A Levels as an external candidate - nowhere near me did A Level short courses, and it was far quicker and cheaper than an Access Course.

Education in the UK is far too inflexible. If you're a literate adult, you shouldn't have to do a year-long, full-time course in order to prove you can do an undergraduate degree.

They were never free even then. I took an a level at night school and you paid fees for the course and fees to sit the exam. You can study online now which has changed some things and you can enter university without a levels via foundation years

It used to be subsidized under the adult education budget.

my mum used to teach in adult education.

the funding was cut almost completely except for English and maths GCSEs and redirected to apprenticeships.

if you are over 19 you can get a funded level 2 (gcse) or level 3 (a level equivalent but almost certainly not a levels) at your local FE college if you don’t already have it.

the FE colleges now do Access courses not a levels.

You're right OP. There was loads of choice when I went to college in '93. I did a few more GCSEs alongside A-levels. Now, my DS, who was unable to go to school has very limited options. The local college basically does maths and English. We're still having to pay for these privately (long story), but no options for any other subjects.

Its because a greater proportion of younger adults already have some GCSEs so there isn't the same demand.

There is probably an element of that, bit it is also funding. In the 1990s/2000s, I took Spanish and German from scratch through GCSE to AS-level (there weren't enough people in either case for yhem to run an A2 class,) There just aren't even beginners classes these days. There are some conversation groups for people who already have the language, run by volunteers.

I started Welsh in my English town - I'm continuing it online with a Welsh college - partly because the Welsh government funds Welsh education. People who are teachers in Wales get the courses for work if they need it, as do other people in some jobs in Wales. (I mostly do it for fun.)

In the past, I did an OU module for general interest; since they had to offer tuition fees at the same rate as other unis, that's not an affordable option, either.

The local uni does some extra mural courses, and there's the WEA, though mostly only during the day, which isn't helpful for those of us who work normal office hours.

Part of me would like to do maths A-level, but just for interest, not work or anything. I work full-time, so evenings are the only option. Can't afford the OU, I don't see how I could do it currently. 20 years ago, I probably could have.