Sir - I recently left Ruskin College after 20 years developing and teaching Adult Education programmes.
As such, I am appalled to hear that Audrey Mullender, Principal, plans to call a new Ruskin College library after Jim Callaghan.
The main thrust of the 'Great Debate speech' by Jim Callaghan at Ruskin College was to link education tightly to the needs of the economy to the considerable exclusion of social need or personal development.
Ruskin College, in contrast, was set up to educate people active in their communities, workplaces and unions so that they could create a fairer and more equal society, rather than for profitability for a few. Mullender's added suggestion that Blair and Brown would be appropriate figureheads for seeking funding for a new library will be met by total disbelief by most people associated with the college. Blair and Brown have made savage cuts, to adult education especially, where it benefited people on low incomes and with few qualifications.
Ruskin College anyway, was never a 'second chance' establishment feeding people into the free market. It has a profound radical history which will be made a mockery of if this goes through.
Katherine Hughes, Oxford
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article