Cutbacks mean adult learning is no longer a “universal city-wide” service, the city council has admitted.
One of the five adult learning teams has been scrapped and workers are now concentrating their efforts on the six wards that contain some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in Scotland.
The change has angered West End councillor Fraser Macpherson, who said he was worried his constituents were no longer getting the service they deserved.
According to the service’s most recent annual report, for 2012-13, a total of 1,730 people across Dundee received support with numeracy and literacy and another 1,697 people took part in community-based learning.
A further 931 people received adult guidance, which aims to help them get ready for a return to the jobs market, with 119 people securing employment through the support of staff.
Adult learning is also a key provider of English teaching for people from ethnic minorities.
The council said: “As a result of the savings we have reduced the number of adult learning teams from five to four with a reduction in our staff complement by one senior adult learning worker and two adult learner worker posts.
“This follows year-on-year reduction in staffing, as a result of the savings, and as such we are no longer able to sustain the level of provision that was previously offered by adult learning.
“Therefore, we have had to look at a full-scale review of the service, which involves a reconfiguration of both the staff structure and areas of provision.”
The council said it would also support the reformation of community group HERA, which ran adult education classes at Harris Academy before the school’s redevelopment began, should it seek to start up again.
Mr Macpherson said: “The admission that the adult learning section can no longer deliver a universal city-wide adult learning provision is a pretty concerning state of affairs.
“It is vital that adult learning across the city is not compromised.
“Adult learning is key to helping people into employment and, for example, constituents have commented how useful courses are, including assisting people for whom English is their second language.
“I am particularly concerned at the lack of a dedicated worker to the West End this is bad news.”
He plans to meet the council’s adult learning manager to discuss his concerns.