PLANS to improve the way community education is organised will see the number of managers cut and more money spent on delivering lessons.

North Yorkshire County Council wants to change the way the service is run, to make it more financially and democratically accountable.

Under the proposals, the number of managers would be reduced and less money spent on overheads.

At present, £2.4m is spent on delivering adult and community learning.

The new structure would increase that to £3.1m by transferring almost £700,000 which is currently spent on administration and overheads.

The community education service is responsible for both adult learning and youth work.

In the adult learning section, the number of district managers would fall from 18 full-time equivalent posts to four.

Thirteen community development posts would then be set up with the cash left over, to attract new learners and work with employers to establish the training needs of their workforce.

The proposals have already been put to district managers and headteachers.

Cynthia Welbourn, the county council's corporate director of the education service, said: "At their consultation meeting, district managers had understandable concerns about their own positions, but most were keen for urgent action to resolve issues of their current workloads and competing priorities."

She said the new structure was needed to establish clear lines of accountability for youth work and adult learning to the county council.

She said: "A detailed analysis of community education district budgets by officers revealed many problems.

"Some districts faced significant over-spends. In others the management, administration and co-ordination costs were excessive - in one district, the ratio of delivery to other costs was 12 per cent on delivery and 88 per cent on other costs.

"In another, the cost of running one further education course was £10,000.

"These situations could not be considered acceptable in any sense."

Further discussions about the proposals are set to take place with headteachers, trades unions, governors, councillors and community education staff.

Miss Welbourn said: "Clearly, there will also need to be consultation with individual members of staff and the timing of appointments to the new structure will need to be such as to provide the maximum number of opportunities for the maximum number of staff."