Epoch Times - Cuts to Adult Education May Hurt NY Economy

Epoch Times - Cuts to Adult Education May Hurt NY Economy

Cuts to Adult Education May Hurt NY Economy

Anthony Ng, deputy director of Policy and Advocacy at the New York Coalition for Adult Literacy, stands in front of city hall on Tuesday in opposition to cuts proposed by lawmakers that would remove $2.6 million from the state's Adult Literacy Education p (Aloysio Santos/The Epoch Times)

NEW YORK—The Adult Literacy Education program will be taking a big hit due to drastic budget cuts proposed by lawmakers, according to a coalition of adult literacy advocates, teachers, students, and City Council members. Cuts were also proposed for GED (General Education Development) testing sites across New York.

The program would lose approximately $2.6 million during the next fiscal year on top of a $612,000 cut during the 2009-2010 Fiscal Year. GED testing sites would suffer a $1.15 million cut.

“Education is a right,” said Antony Ng, the deputy director of Policy and Advocacy at the New York Coalition for Adult Literacy. He added that the cuts would deprive people seeking to take the GED test throughout New York City and will negatively impact the local economy.

The programs, when they're fully funded, can help create a workforce, said Ng. People who are dependent on the program “need these jobs to help the economy recover.”

Bruce Carmel, the deputy executive director for the Brooklyn-based adult education school Turning Point, said