Thousands of students will be denied places on evening classes and other adult education courses this year because of Government funding cuts, college leaders warned.
As Ministers hailed the launch of Adult Learners' Week, the Association of Colleges (AoC) said the Government had failed to put enough money into the system to back up its rhetoric. The funding shortfall meant up to 200,000 college places for adults wanting to take up courses this autumn have been axed, the AoC said.
The warnings come as Education Secretary Ruth Kelly launched the 14th annual Adult Learners' Week this week.
John Brennan, AoC chief executive, said Ms Kelly was presiding over a "funding shambles".
Colleges were being forced to pulp their prospectuses for this year because of the course cutbacks imposed by the Government's funding body, the Learning and Skills Council, he said. "AoC has repeatedly drawn attention to the gap with Ministers and the Learning and Skills Council management.
"Neither has been willing to acknowledge any funding shortfall." He said adult courses across the country were now being closed.
A spokesman for the Department for Education said later: "Funding will increase with £1 billion more in 2005/ 06 compared to 2002/03. "The Learning and Skills Council is due to confirm its allocations for England at the end of May. We will never be in a position to meet the almost unlimited demand of adult learners.
"It is right that colleges should align their funding to meet the needs of priority learners such as young people, those lacking basic skills and those without a foundation of skills for employment."
