Adults should 'pay more for learning' Sunday, May 10, 2009 - 23:55

When asked about the contribution government, employers and individuals should make towards lifelong learning, adults think that overall, the public subsidy should be lower. This is the headline finding of the NIACE survey - Who should pay for lifelong learning? - as part of Adult Learners' Week.

However, the survey also found that the general public agrees that a higher level of government subsidy is needed for reading, writing, basic maths and basic English courses for adults; and for courses up to Level 2, than for vocational learning and learning for personal interest.

Although research consistently finds that fees are a barrier to learning for adults, the survey reveals that:

• one in five adults in England believes that there should be no public subsidy at all for reading, writing, basic maths and basic English courses - which currently attract full government funding;
• socio-economic classes (DE) who have generally benefited least from initial education, are most likely to propose that the government should pay a greater share of the costs of adult education provision;
• for reading, writing, basic maths and basic English courses, respondents in socio-economic classes AB propose the highest level of government contribution;
• unemployed adults and those outside of paid employment tend to believe that the government should make a greater contribution to the cost of all courses than those who are in work or retired; and
• those who have not participated in learning since leaving full-time education propose the highest level of government contribution for all types of learning, except for reading, writing, basic maths and basic English courses.

Alan Tuckett, Chief Executive of NIACE, said,

"There is widespread agreement across the political spectrum and among policy makers within education and training that lifelong learning benefits everyone and that for the economic and social health of the country everybody needs to invest more in lifelong learning."

"However this survey shows that the policy makers' consensus is not shared by a large representative sample of the adult population in England. In particular those who feel they have little prospect of taking up learning, no longer see adult learning as part of the welfare state."

"Those surveyed felt that the private benefits of learning require greater investment from the individuals participating. Yet participation surveys over the last two decades have shown that without active public policy measures, people who benefited least from education and training at school are markedly less likely to engage in lifelong learning as adults."

Who should pay for lifelong learning?, is available from the NIACE Book Shop.