Question:
Do anyone know about the List of evening classes for the next academic year?
Is such a list available yet? Do the local/free papers include this sometime this month or have I missed it?
Can anyone give me some suggestion or advice???
Answer:
Adult and Community Learning (ACL) is the organisation responsible for what now passes for adult (and community) learning in Cambridge City. (Previously called Lifelong Learning and further back referred to as Community Education - Com Ed.) They run courses at four centres: Chesterton, Manor, Coleridge and Parkside. In the last few years the leaflet has been delivered to all city houses with the free newspaper - wrapped inside the latest offers from Budgens in the last week of August.
However I am just one former tutor who has been very dissatisfied with this organisation. (You sensed my bitterness already perhaps?) The programme has shrunk to a point where its own existence is in jeopardy - there just being too few courses to pay for the inefficient administration, over burdening inspection process and a human resources department who refer to me, after 17 years, as David Batty. Gone are the days when the Community Colleges could boast more adult learners than school students.
On the positive side the City Colleges are open to hiring out their rooms in the evening to private groups. So I believe Cycle Maintenance (Coleridge) and my own Life Drawing (Parkside) will take this option - but incurring the displeasure of ACL in the process. Ironic that the organisation dedicated to adult and community learning should not welcome community initiatives.
Other providers include Cambridge Regional College (part time prospectus published a few weeks ago) and Hills Road Sixth Form College. Long Road have apparently ended their adult programme. The Village Colleges also run their own programmes - Comberton, Impington and Bottisham for example.
Lion Yard Library on the 2nd floor have always been outstanding at collating information and having leaflets to hand - possibly even having knowledgeable staff to talk to.
