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Democratising Democracy
A new social purpose agenda in adult education
| Date: | Monday 10 September – Tuesday 11 September 2007 |
| Venue: | Madingley Hall - University of Cambridge, Madingley, Cambridge CB23 8AQ |
| Ref: | C15-48/09/07 |
| Fee*: | £95 – non-residential (includes lunch, tea/coffee)
(Now taking online reservations for non-residential places ONLY) |
[Background] [Aims] [Audience] [Working Groups] [Programme]
Background
Adult education has strong roots in social purpose and political education both in Britain and internationally. Radical social purpose adult education has taken many forms, from workers' education to outreach, community education and feminist education. In these various contexts there was social engagement and political purpose in adult learning programmes. Some contemporary adult educators continue to find inspiration in the ideas of Raymond Williams and Paulo Freire, for example, and in the educational approaches linked to Really Useful Knowledge, Cultural Action, Emancipatory Learning, Popular Education, Peace Education and Feminism. But everywhere, it seems, the notion of radical social purpose education is drowned out by the narrowing orthodoxy of skills and employability, despite the many other pressing social and political problems that continue to characterise the twenty first century.
Henry Giroux noted recently that, 'as a political and moral practice, education must be engaged not only as one of the primary conditions for constructing political and moral agents, but also as a public pedagogy - produced in a range of sites and public spheres - that constitutes cultural practice as a defining feature of any viable notion of politics. Education after Abu Ghraib must imagine a future in which learning is inextricably connected to social change, the obligations of civic justice, and a notion of democracy in which peace, equality, compassion and freedom are not limited to the nation state but extended to the international community. Education after Abu Ghraib must take seriously what it might mean to strive for the autonomy and dignity of a global citizenry and peace as its fundamental precondition'.
Alan Tuckett, Director of NIACE, has suggested that, 'at its best, adult learning stimulates people to take hold of their destiny and shape the lives they live; creating active, critically engaged citizens, and energetic societies'.
It is these and related views that the seminar plans to address by posing the question:
'What do we mean by political education for adults in the 21st century and how might it best be undertaken?'
The intention is to explore how we might re-articulate and re-activate radical political education and to follow up the seminar with the publication of a policy discussion document to promote political education and active citizenship.
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Aims
The aims of the seminar are to:
 | explore the concept of radical social purpose and political education for adults |
| examine how such political and purposeful education might be developed in collaboration with adult learning and solidarity with social movement |
| make suggestions about and contribute to the formulation of a policy discussion paper and implementation strategy, launched by NIACE, to carry this radical agenda forward. |
The seminar will offer:
| a mix of expert political input about contemporary concerns, such as Blair's legal legacy, global citizenship and gender politics |
| working groups focussing on questions concerning, for example, race relations, climate change and conflict resolution |
| an opportunity for debate and discussion between delegates. |
It is hoped that the ideas and priorities generated from within the seminar will form the basis of a policy discussion paper which can be further used to press for a radical re-think of political education.
Delegates will:
| have the benefit of stimulating and committed inputs |
| spend time on focussed discussion about much neglected aspects of adult education purpose and practice |
| contribute to a strategy that takes these issues forward as a matter of priority. |
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Audience
The seminar will be of interest to all those who are committed to identifying social purpose in adult education, who want to re-connect the curriculum and priorities of adult education to wider social problems and issues beyond the skills strategy, in collaboration with the activism of contemporary progressive social movements.
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Working Groups
Delegates are asked to identify which of five working groups they would like to join for the duration of the seminar on their application form. There will be some overlap, and group members will be able to decide which aspects they want to focus on. Groups will meet on three occasions and report back on their recommendations and priorities to a final plenary session. The five working groups are:
- Global Poverty
- Gender Politics
- Race and Faith
- Climate Change and Sustainable Development
- Conflict Resolution
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Programme
| Contributions from: David Archer, Director of Education, Action Aid International Peter Lavender, Deputy Director, NIACE Mike Newman, Adult Educator and author of Teaching Defiance: Stories and Strategies for Activist Educators Eurig Scandrett, Lecturer in Sociology, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh Mae Shaw, Lecturer, University of Edinburgh Ailbhe Smyth, Senior Lecturer, Women's Education, Research & Resource Centre, School of Social Justice, University College Dublin Professor Richard Taylor, Director of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning, University of Cambridge Jane Thompson, Principal Research Officer, NIACE Alan Tuckett, Director, NIACE Cheryl Turner, Development Officer, Community Learning, NIACE |
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| Day One | |
| 09:45 | Arrival and registration (tea/coffee available) |
| 10:30 | Welcome and introduction to the seminar |
| 11:00 | Keynote address and discussion Reconnecting adult learning with progressive social movements – the way forward |
| 12:30 | Working Groups Identifying the
main issues and how they connect to radical social purpose and political
education for adults. |
| 13:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00 | Keynote address and discussion Reconnecting feminist politics and adult learning – the way forward |
| 15:15 | Mid-afternoon break (tea/coffee available) |
| 15:45 | Discussions within working groups
continue How might political and purposeful adult education be developed in partnership with social movement organisations? 1. Global Poverty 2. Gender Politics 3. Race and Faith 4. Climate Change and Sustainable Development 5. Conflict Resolution |
| 17:30 | Comfort break and networking (tea/coffee available) |
| 18:30 | Reconnecting community development and community education – the way forward |
| 20:00 | Dinner |
| Day Two | |
| 09:30 | Keynote address and discussion Teaching defiance |
| 10:45 | Mid-morning break (tea/coffee available) |
| 11:00 | Discussions within working groups
continue What should go into a Policy Discussion Paper to revivify social purpose and political education for adults? Who should write it? How should it be disseminated and implemented? 1. Global Poverty 2. Gender Politics 3. Race and Faith 4. Climate Change and Sustainable Development 5. Conflict Resolution |
| 12:00 | Plenary with Working Group inputs (priorities and recommendations) |
| 13:00 | Lunch |
This programme is correct at the time of going to press. The organisers reserve the right to make changes to the published programme in the event of one or more of the advertised speakers being unable to attend. Delegates will have no claim against NIACE in respect of such changes.
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Also in September 2007...
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