Sir - I write to alert readers to the Government's decision to cease funding Equivalent and Lower Level Qualifications (ELQs) - see www.hefce.ac.uk/ news/hefce/2007/HEFCE_ letterELQ.pdf Many readers are probably aware of the excellent opportunities offered by the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education (OUDCE), which runs part-time courses in a huge range of topics. The department has an annual enrolment of around 14,000 students, of whom some do already have higher degrees, whilst many others are entering further education for the first time. The Govern- ment's decision is likely to result in a huge increase in course fees which would cause most of these courses to be cancelled - denying access to all.

Opposition from the Open University has been vocal; however the response from the University of Oxford has been muted. I suspect this is in part because they will be permitted to reallocate this funding (estimated at around £4m per annum for the University of Oxford) to other areas.

For a Government which has claimed to support lifelong learning, and to recognise the importance in today's workplace for greater career flexibility, this decision represents a catastrophic misunder- standing of the role of a department such as the OUDCE.

I urge all past and present students reading this to sign the online petition at http://petitions. pm.gov.uk/ELQFunding/ I would also ask the University to rethink its response to this announcement. For many of the part-time students on these courses, this is their only contact with the University. I think the benefits for the integration of the University within the wider community are incalculable, and to lose this unique and stimulating programme would be a great loss to our region.

Dr Lucy Dickinson, Eynsham