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Photography students face £4,000 bill to save course

Bosses at a Sheffield college are asking would-be press photographers to foot the bill to keep its photojournalism course alive.

As reported earlier today, the prestigious course is due to close after 30 years as a result of funding cuts to post-16 education and the forthcoming retirement of course leader Paul Delmar.

The decision was initially taken earlier this week and announced on the Facebook page of Times picture editor Paul Sanders, a former student of the college who now sits on the photographic board of the National Council for the Training of Journalists.

However Norton College, Sheffield, says it is still exploring options for keeping the course alive, although this will involve press photography students paying the full fee of up to £4,000 instead of the current £1,500.

In a statement issued this afternoon, principal Andrew Cropley said: “The future of the press photography and photojournalism block release and full time courses is currently being reviewed following government funding cuts to adult courses, a fall in the number of applications to this course and changes within the media industry.

“The college is currently considering various options, as we recognise this is a unique, highly valued and prestigious training course.

“Previously, the course has been part subsidised though government funding and students have paid for part of the course costs, approximately £1,500.

“The college is exploring if the course can continue to be delivered from September 2010 with students paying all of the fee, approximately £3,500 to £4,000, and on the condition there is sufficient demand.”

But one recent press photography student at the college questioned whether the idea would get off the ground.

James Dodd, who took the course in 2009 said: “£4,000 for what is essentially a part-time course certainly isn’t realistic. I would not have been able to do the course if it had cost that much.”

James, now a freelance photographer, said student loans were not available for the course, and the only additional funding available for them were personal development loans of up to £1,000.

The NCTJ has yet to comment publicly although it is understood to be exploring ways of keeping the course going at a different venue.

Comments

MD (18/06/2010 15:42:43)
Just to let you know Paul isn’t retiring he is being made redundant as part of the Sheffield collage cuts. Paul is devastated by the news after over 20 years in the job, but I’m sure he will carry on supporting the industry for many years to come.

Mark readman (21/06/2010 16:29:05)
The positive side to this news is we may see on the job training restored and paid for by employers and a end to the constant tide of NTCJ trained youngsters with no jobs at the end.
The simple fact is there is just no jobs left in this industry to “fill” the course is not required as there is no jobs to go on to.
Not popular, but the truth never is

TB (22/06/2010 14:58:51)
The course is essentially worthless anyway. Though sometimes fun, and Paul Delmar funny and friendly, the course teaches very little. As said earlier it is part time, and also some aspects are irrelevant to the job (and also to the exams) – the scientific side of photography for examle very little of which needs to be understood by press photographers.
Only a fraction of those on the preliminary course go on to take the final exams and this should give an indication of the quality.
Furthermore, students source all photos themselves without any intervention from the college (after so many years, so many shoots could be organised by the college in order to inspire students). Students often find themselves wild goose chasing around Sheffield uninspired and p****d off.
Many students have failed the writing part of the course despite having degrees and post graduate degrees in the field, and it is essentially an NVQ – the results are outrageous.

HR (22/06/2010 15:26:57)
Just to confirm the course is to continue I spoke to Paul this morning. Unfortunatley he is being made redundant and will not play the same active role in the course as before. But the good news is that it is to continue