THE Wallasey Further Education Action Group has responded to a letter from former Birkenhead councillor Richard Kimberley, who was critical of the crisis situation at Wirral Metropolitan College. Debts have reached £12 million and up to 170 members of staff could lose their jobs.

They write: "While respecting the sincerity of Richard Kimberley's views (Globe Mailbox, May 19), we would like to correct some of the inaccuracies which appeared in his recent letter about the crisis at Wirral Metropolitan College.

"The four packed public meetings held in Wallasey between 1995-97 were organised by our Action Group and not by Wirral Trades Council.

"Mr Kimberley writes that 'no-one wanted to be bothered' about the growing crisis at Wirral Met. On the contrary, 20,000 Wallasey residents were 'bothered' enough to sign our mass petition between 1996-97 against the closure of Withens Lane site. Wallasey students, residents and further education (FE) lecturers also made a tremendous contribution to the work of our Action Group.

"He also blames the 'lethargic' attitude of the Secretary of State, David Blunkett, for the current crisis. Mr Blunkett was certainly not 'lethargic' when he refused his promised Ministerial Inquiry into the closure of Withens Lane College. Perhaps he was worried that such an Inquiry would reveal both the real extent of the mismanagement at the college, as well as the negligence of the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC).

"Mr Kimberley also blames 'the lack of apparent concern by the Local Authority' for the crisis. Despite the removal of the college from local authority control in 1994, Wirral Borough Council was consistently concerned about events within Wirral Met. In 1996 both the Labour and Conservative Groups on the council took the historical step of actually voting together for the first time on any local issue in order to pass a resolution condemning the closure of Withens Lane. Coun Mick Groves, as Chairman of the Education Committee, raised the objections of the council to the college's policies on numerous occasions. He and David Rigby (former Director of Education) both wrote to the Funding Council in 1996 about the closure of Withens Lane. In addition, councillors Mick Groves, Kate Wood and Leslie Rennie all gave sterling support to our campaign. Again, in 1997, our plaque, which was presented to Wirral Borough Council to mark the centenary of further education in Wallasey, was officially installed in Wallasey Town Hall.

"He also blames 'the lack of probing by the media' for the current crisis. This allegation does a great injustice to the 'Wirral Globe' who gave extensive local coverage to our campaign. The 'Wirral Globe' proved itself to be the only real community newspaper with its excellent and consistent reports about our campaign to highlight the growing crisis in Wirral Met. In particular the 'Globe' Editor Robin Bird, and 'Globe' reporter Steve Hunter, should be commended for the quality of their investigative reporting into the running of the college, despite threats from the college to report the 'Globe' to the Press Complaints Council, and the indifference of many local MPs, the FEFC and Central Government.

"Mr Kimberley believes that the crisis at Wirral Met was 'a scandal waiting to happen'. We do not agree. We think that this crisis was allowed to happen in order to cover-up both the mismanagement of the college and the negligence of the FEFC.

"Wirral Met College will not be saved by either public inquiries alone or by the adoption of 'macho-style' management techniques by the new college Principal. The real solution lies in the college unions campaigning together, along with the students, Wirral Borough Council, and all the local MPs in order to demand that David Blunkett immediately wipe out the £12 million college debt, and thereby secure both FE in Wirral and the threatened 170 jobs at Wirral Met."

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