The Workers Education Associations in Wales write to offer our congratulations to WEA England and Scotland and its new general secretary on his appointment, from the “Jarvis man to lead cash-strapped charity”, FE Focus, December 19).
Since WEA became four independent organisations in 1993, we have faced very similar problems relating to a funding and regulatory regime where issues of informal adult education were not central, and which was designed around local rather than regional and national organisations.
Happily in Wales we have been able to address some of those problems already, are exceeding core targets, and are not in the financial difficulties which have beset our colleagues in England.
The four WEA organisations, in England and Scotland, Northern Ireland, and North and South Wales, met in Belfast recently to develop ways we can support each other in developing our expertise in adult and community education in areas of disadvantage, and learning in the workplace, and to lobby for fairer funding.
Graham Price General secretary WEA South Wales Lyn Hurley Deputy general secretary WEA South Wales Annie Williams Principal, Coleg Harlech WEA North Wales
