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Discontinued
City & Guilds CourseAt the end of academic year 1998, Oxford College of Further Education discontinued the City & Guilds course, leaving me and my colleague Gaby Lloyd in limbo, having started Part 2 in September 1997. You said that you were interested in what is happening to embroidery education. This is what happened to us. The reasons given were that the building was to be demolished (it has stood unused all this year) and that the class was not economically viable. It is true that we had only four applicants for 1997 but, as the courses last for two years, there is natural cyclical variation which would not be taken into account by someone unaware of it. We had a full register of sixteen and every student achieved some kind of award. Our tutor had four year-groups working in one room which sounds chaotic but we actually sparked a lot of creativity and excitement from one another.
We heard about the closure by a prospective student visiting the group and telling us that 'of course, you won't be here next year - they are closing this down'. It was after this that the authorities sent a representative to explain that City & Guilds was not a continuing option. Instead, the College of Further Education offered a Centra course consisting of six weeks each of embroidery, soft furnishing, fashion and machine knitting, to be renewed on a yearly basis. When, in June 1998, our moderator came, she was dismayed and wrote a strongly worded letter to the College saying so. At no time did they contact the tutor or show any appreciation for her seven years of work. Imagine my relief when I was accepted by the tutors of East Berkshire College. It took a long time to settle in but the tutors showed forbearance and gave me space and encouragement.
I write at length about this experience because I value C & G too much to let it go unnoticed. The strength of C & G is that it offers teaching to those, like me, who have no previous experience in the craft. If I had a moderately successful exhibition, know that I started Part 1 from scratch. I have spent the last five years working hard, absorbing information and enjoying myself enormously.
Joy Abrahams, Cowley, Oxford
Countersigned by Moderator Anthea Godfrey