Wolverhampton language class axe an 'attack on heritage'

Wolverhampton City Council first unveiled its plans to scrap £400,000 worth of funding to run sessions for children to learn the languages of their parents and grandparents as part of sweeping cost-cutting measures.

The two-hour weekend classes cater for around 750 children aged between four and 16, teaching Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and Gujarati at centres around the city.

Now those against the proposals have submitted a 3,000-signature petition in a bid to save the lessons, but council bosses have refused to budge.

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Bhajan Singh Devsi, chairman of Blakenhall-based community action group BME United, said he would continue to fight against what he described as 'an attack on cultural heritage'.

He said: "This provision is essential for young people in our communities.

"Without the opportunity to learn their mother tongue our cultural heritage will eventually be lost in this city. So many cultures have contributed to making Wolverhampton a place a social cohesion, but this amounts to an attack on our heritage."

The council's communities and leisure chief Councillor Elias Mattu said he was left with no choice but to curtail the classes due to financial restraints.

"We have had to make this difficult decision because of central government cuts to our budget. We are dealing with five languages here in a city where a total of 88 languages are spoken.

"Many gurdwaras and temples also offer language teaching so there are classes available for people from Asian communities."

He said the council would receive a report to look at how voluntary and faith groups could be further encouraged to support mother tongue language classes.