Anger as cuts hit computer courses in Bognor

John Hayes said the country's financial crisis meant no money was available to continue to run the IT information boosters at the

Chichester College outreach centre on the High Street.

He told MP Nick Gibb, who contacted him after speaking to students at the centre, axing the college's funding for the courses was among many difficult choices that had to be made.

"It is critical... that those of us who receive public funds play our part in reducing the burden of public debt, and restoring us, as a nation, to financial health," he wrote.

"This means we are going to have to do more with less from now on as we drive to control public finances.

"This applies to my department just as it applies to further education colleges and training organisations."

Any available money would be poured into apprenticeships and further education capital projects, he said.

Mr Hayes, the minister for further education, skills and lifelong learning, added a handwritten note to his typed letter which read: "We are strongly supporting adult learning."

But July 30 will still see the outreach centre stop the City and Guilds and European Computer Driving Licence courses it has traditionally offered mature students.

Some needed the qualifications for their work. Others wanted them to improve their job prospects and yet more students had a desire to become IT literate for their personal use.

Former student Ernie Nixon, 59, of Felpham Road, Felpham, attended the centre in 2004-05. He said he was saddened by the refusal of Mr Hayes to help.

"Going to the centre was very important to me because I didn't know what to do with a computer apart from switch it on.

"It gave me a knowledge about computers, which you need nowadays. I email my family in Northern Ireland and my late wife used to email her relatives in Australia.

"The tutors at the centre were fantastic. They would sit down and chat with you whenever you wanted," he said.

The centre was opened more than ten years ago and 2,000-plus students have benefited from the unique flexible learning it offered.

Opening times stretched until 9pm on weekdays as well as Saturday mornings and courses could be completed at students' convenience.

Some of those angered by the college decision to axe the courses, because of a lack of funding, attended a meeting between Mr Gibb and college managers in late May.

The centre will stay open to offer basic literacy and numeracy courses only.