I understand that there is a proposal to close the Adult Education Centre in Whatley Road and to relocate the courses it currently runs.

MAE Whatley Road offers a number of adult education courses and I have attended several. The courses have all been excellent. I have not only learned new skills but I have made many good friends. The tutors that I have encountered at the Whatley Road Centre are dedicated, enthusiastic and motivational. I have been overwhelmed by their enthusiasm to impart their knowledge and to bring out the best in all their students whether they show true talent or are struggling to grasp the basic skills. I now have much more confidence and feel able to try new things that I previously would not have felt able to attempt and I know many students have obtained national qualifications and gone on to obtain employment or start their own businesses using the confidence and skills they gained at the Whatley Road Centre.

I currently attend stained and fused glass and pottery classes, both of which require specialist equipment, which it seems unlikely will be available at an alternative location. There is therefore a question whether such courses would continue to be available. Even if they were available elsewhere, it is likely that many people currently attending courses at Whatley Road would not be able to travel to the locations that have been mooted as alternatives.

The people that would find it most difficult to travel are the disabled. Several of the people on the courses I attend live alone, are disabled and are unemployed. The courses they attend therefore not only teach them new skills, or help them to improve skills already acquired, but also provide human contact and an opportunity to make friends with similar interests, which it is difficult to imagine could be provided by any other means.

Carers are also given respite while those they care for are at the college. I believe that the nearest location for a glass class is Sutton. I would find it difficult to travel to Sutton and I am not disabled, but if I managed to get there, I believe that it is likely the classes would be over-subscribed as the glass classes at Whatley Road always appear to be full or over-subscribed.

I would greatly miss my classes but a much more serious issue over the closure of this site concerns the courses that are offered specifically for people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. My observation is that MAE Whatley Road offers a learning atmosphere to such students which must be second to none, where all students are respected as valued individuals, not only by the tutors but also by the administration and other staff.

In my view, many of these students require the safe and familiar environment that Whatley Road provides in order to thrive. Some students with disabilities are successfully integrated into classes with able-bodied people which seems to me to be of great benefit to all. It is a serious learning centre but retains a relaxed, warm and caring atmosphere – something rare in today/s world and, I contend, worth preserving. I am very concerned that such a valuable provision may not be available at other locations.

I understand that MAE Whatley Road has received good Ofsted reports and is financially viable (certainly the courses I have attended have been generally over-subscribed) so it is difficult to understand why Merton Community Housing would want to destroy such a valuable resource.

Mrs Jenny Lione

Via email

 


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