FAMED academic Noam Chomsky shamed Hackney College bosses at a public consultation over job cuts after savaging “vicious” plans to casualise language teaching and axe arts courses.

In a recorded address to a packed lecture theatre at the college on Tuesday night, the US-based author and lecturer went on to praise union and community resistance to the cuts. 

He said: “The college is an outstanding example of what should be done as an alternative (to privatised education) and it’s no surprise that it’s coming under attack. It’s heartening to hear that this is being resisted.”

Mr Chomsky’s comments set a tone for the meeting to save free community education from management cuts. 

Languages teacher Amy Jowett picked out plans to switch teachers from permanent contracts to zero-hours work as particularly concerning. 

She said: “It’s very disappointing that an institution that has been at the front of trying to sustain free courses in communities is now turning away and starting to work with the jobcentres.

“Those courses are short and misunderstand how languages are learned — it’s not really for the students. Hackney Community College has a responsibility to keep standards up, not make teachers fear for their jobs.”

School representatives blamed redundancy and casualisation plans on government cutbacks. Principal Ian Ashman said: “We have been working hard to maintain funding, but 14 per cent off the adult skills budget is the highest anywhere in the public sector. 

“We have a big uncertainty as to how many students will be coming to us next year and given the context we have to achieve reductions.”