CONCERNS have been raised after a college dropped its education courses for prisoners.

Lewisham College's education and training programme for the Probation Service, and prisoners at Brixton and Belmarsh prisons started two years ago.

But the college has given notice to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) that it will pull out of its three-year contract.

It says changes in its curriculum and development work meant it needed to focus on other areas.

A spokesman for the college said: "The college is very proud of its work in delivering this contract especially in raising the standards of education.

"This was recognised by successive Ofsted inspections making Lewisham College's work in the prisons amongst the best in the country.

"Despite these achievements, the Governors of Lewisham College, advised by their managers, have taken the decision to withdraw from this contract with effect from October.

"This decision was taken only after careful consideration and with regret.

He said the college and LSC were working to quickly handover to another education provider and to minimise disruption to prisoners and staff.

But the University and College Union (UCU), which represents all the teaching staff employed by the college in the two prisons, attacked the decision.

Its national official for offender educators Christiane Ohsan said: "Our members make an invaluable contribution to efforts to reduce reoffending, by equipping prisoners with the employability skills they will need when released.

"Staff were transferred two years ago and now face the prospect of having three employers in the space of three years.

"This cannot help them to provide stability to their learners and it also wastes public funds."

The union points out that, according to a 2005 Government report, prisoners who do not take part in education are three times more likely to be reconvicted than those that do.