MORAY councillors have hit out at suggestions that some of the most vulnerable people, with the poorest literacy and numeracy skills, may have to pay for their learning in the future.
Decreased Government funding in adult learning provision in Moray may require some people to "put their own hands in the pockets", a Moray Council officer warned this week.
Alistair Campbell, libraries and museums manager, admitted that Moray and other local authorities "face a challenge" with some of their most vulnerable residents.
"We have been in a situation where a fair amount of government funding has been coming in. That funding is reducing and one of the challenges is how to create sustainability," Mr Campbell told members of Moray Council’s audit and performance committee.
"We face the prospect that more people might have to put their own hands in their pockets."
A Scottish Survey of Adult Literacies, released in 2009, stated that "around one quarter of the Scottish population (26.7%) may face occasional challenges and constrained opportunities due to their literacy difficulties".
Within this total, the report pointed out that 3.6% (one person in 28) faces "serious challenges" in their literacies.
For the full story, see this week's 'Northern Scot'
