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The impact of Lifelong Learning on Poverty Reduction
Adult education is vital in the fight against poverty but it has
to work alongside other measures aimed at improving people’s lives,
a detailed study of the impact of lifelong learning on poverty
reduction shows.
Research commissioned by the independent Inquiry into the Future
for Lifelong Learning explores the public value of such learning,
not only for the individual but for the family and wider community.
The evidence suggests that lifelong learning works best when it is
part of a broad set of initiatives and responses to the complex
challenges people face at various stages in their lives.
The detailed study, including a reanalysis of more than 15 years
of research into poverty reduction, was carried out by Ricardo
Sabates, Senior Research Office at the University of London’s
Institute of Education. He raises key issues around the potential of
lifelong in helping cut the dependency of individuals on other often
costly state-funded support services.
In the report, Dr Sabates says:
“Individuals engaged in lifelong learning are more likely to
improve their livelihoods through better employment opportunities,
higher income, broader understanding of financial markets, better
health and healthier behaviours, access to health services,
knowledge of health conditions, among others. However, the
effectiveness of lifelong learning in reducing poverty is very much
dependent on its integration with other policy measures.”
In addition to the crucial role lifelong learning plays in
improving the skills of the current workforce and those seeking
employment, Dr Sabates says, these other concerns should not be
ignored. The need to provide financial literacy and support for all
takes on a new urgency in the current climate of the credit crunch
and people’s concerns about their mortgages, savings and pensions.
But the question of the need for a thorough grounding in
financial literacy runs deeper through their everyday lives, he
says. For example, it is the financially literate who know how best
to access the welfare state and plan most securely for their
futures. Similarly, health-literate people act fastest to spot
problems, act on them and take control – living healthier lives.
The studies show the extent to which the health, welfare,
financial and other benefits accruing from lifelong learning are
passed on down the generations.
However, Dr Sabates' report goes further, offering new
interpretations of research and exposing gaps in evidence that must
be filled if politicians and policy makers are to make effective
decisions on spending. For example, there is a lack of understanding
of the role lifelong learning can play in providing people with
autonomy and a sense of control – a crucial consideration as the
government tries to promote citizenship.
Tom Schuller, Director of the Inquiry said:
“This is an invaluable study, not only for what it says about the
positive things lifelong learning can and does bring to us all but
also in identifying areas that still urgently need to be researched.
Indeed, much of the paper touches on wider issues around which this
Inquiry is calling for evidence, such as the impact of learning on
well-being and the higher benefits different forms of learning can
bring. It is the first of a series of analyses of the public value
of lifelong learning.
“Clearly, lifelong learning can help substantially to reduce
poverty through the impact it can have on so many aspects of
people’s lives. We need to ensure that learning opportunities are
offered in such a way as to reach all these aspects.”
Read Dr Sabates' paper
here
Crime and Social exclusion
Evidence on crime and social exclusion commissioned by the
independent Inquiry into the Future of Lifelong Learning suggests
offenders should be offered a balanced curriculum with a strong
focus on creativity.
While it is generally agreed that priority must be given to
tackling the poor basic skills lacking in at least two-thirds of
offenders, there is concern that the wider range of opportunities to
help prepare people for work and social inclusion on leaving prison
is being neglected.
There was a considerable shift of resources in favour of basic
skills education and training following the Government’s 2005 Green
Paper, Reducing Re-Offending through Skills and Employment.
But recent research, including studies carried out by the
Ministry of Justice, suggests the complex problems of re-offending
need to be tackled using a broader educational approach. Also, where
basic skills learning is identified as a priority, prison education
staff say they lack the time needed to help people reach the
standards they require for work (level 2) while they are in prison.
Lack of basic skills does present a key problem. Another study for
the ministry showed that half of all prisoners lacked basic literacy
and two-thirds lacked basic numeracy. Also, two-thirds of offenders
fail to move directly into work on leaving prison.
But studies by the ministry revealed little evidence to suggest
poor basic skills could, on their own, be used to predict
re-offending rates. In fact, in one study, 80 per cent of
individuals considered to be at risk did not go on to re-offend. The
evidence instead suggests a range of “indirect” connections, linked
to school truancy, unemployment, social exclusion, low esteem and
other cognitive and psychological problems.
Much of the evidence to the Inquiry also shows that community
activities people choose for themselves are most likely to lead them
to stop re-offending. Activities such as art and drama lead to
greater confidence and self-esteem, particularly for those with
mental health problems.
A wide range of evidence was submitted to the Inquiry by individuals
and organisations including professionals, employers, government
departments and agencies dealing with prisoners and re-offenders.
There was broad agreement on the need to get the education and
training balance right, in order not to squander scarce resources.
For this to be most effective, there had to be one assessment to
identify multiple needs and a sustained focus on lifelong learning
with continued support and provision on release from prison and into
work.
Other points from the evidence:
Guardian to take detailed look into the Inquiry
A special supplement in the Education Guardian (23rd
September 2008) lookd at the key themes for the Inquiry into the Future for
Lifelong Learning.
With contributions from Stephen McNair on demography, Leisha Fullick on
poverty, an interview with Bob Fryer, ground-breaking research on Alzheimer's
and the views of Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats on some of
the Inquiry's key questions. This supplement will be invaluable as an update on
the progress of the Inquiry as it moves into the next stage.
Inquiry holds first meeting in Northern Ireland
The Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning, sponsored by NIACE, is
developing an authoritative and coherent strategic framework for lifelong
learning for the UK. As part of its work the Inquiry is running a series of
expert seminars to explore the major themes of the Inquiry and to gain insights
into perspectives from different parts of the UK. The next seminar will be held
in Northern Ireland on Tuesday 9th September 2008.
Speakers at the seminar – to be held in Belfast at Malone House in Barnett
Demesne – include Catherine Bell Deputy Secretary at the Department for
Employment and Learning (DELNI), Paul Nolan, Director of Education at Queen’s
University and Bernadette McAliskey from the South Tyrone Empowerment Network.
Also speaking at the seminar is Tom Schuller, Director of the Inquiry. He
said:
“Economic regeneration in Northern Ireland is well underway. Investment and
Skills Strategies have set targets aimed at improving competitiveness and
enhancing the economy. Few people could deny that the Northern Ireland economy
has much to gain from a highly skilled and a better-qualified workforce.
Learning and skills are one important component of economic success.”
He continued, “However despite the dramatic improvement in levels of
employment and corresponding reductions in levels of unemployment, economic
inactivity remains stubbornly high at 27 – 30 per cent of the working age
population - higher than all other UK regions. This must be linked to the fact
that 24 per cent of the working age population lack qualifications compared to
14 per cent of the UK average.”
He ended, “Also, despite the significant and welcome progress on the
political front, many citizens remain excluded and community divisions are, in
some areas, deepening. Effective economic development is desirable but must be
achieved
within a socially inclusive and cohesive society. This is a major challenge
for Northern Ireland. Lifelong Learning has a critical role to play in helping
the country to meet these challenges. . It's crucial for the Inquiry to
understand the challenges and opportunities for lifelong learning in Northern
Ireland.”
Press
Release: "Inquiry holds first meeting in Northern Ireland" - [PDF]
Released On 09/09/2008
Lifelong Learning, Citizenship and Belonging
A
central purpose of lifelong learning is to challenge prejudice and
irrationality and to enable citizens to take more control of their
lives - in other words, to gain greater freedom through learning.
This is one of the main tenets of 12 core principles linking
lifelong learning to Citizenship and Belonging, in a
paper
by Professor Bob Fryer to the independent Inquiry into the Future
for Lifelong Learning.
As an advisor to successive Government ministers since 1997,
Professor Fryer was chief architect behind some of the most
significant lifelong learning and health service training reforms.
Now, as a Commissioner on the Inquiry, he draws on his experience
and knowledge to show how lifelong learning can be an instrument
both of self-fulfilment and active citizenship.
Effective lifelong learning must start, he says, with individual
interests, needs and priorities and expand to be “all-embracing” -
focusing on family, community, work, leisure and politics, and the
more intimate and personal aspects of people’s lives.
Evidence suggests values for citizenship are often best imbued in
“incidental learning”. Therefore, lifelong learning must embrace all
modes and forms of learning - formal, non-formal, informal and
incidental.
In his paper, he challenges traditional education for
“reinforcing, perpetuating and legitimising social injustice”. He
sees the best lifelong learning as a democratic process rooted in
the principles and practices of social justice and “open and subject
to scrutiny and challenge in so far as its compliance with the
declared canons of social justice are concerned”.
The need for an inclusive, democratic approach is particularly
when exploring issues of race, diversity and difference, he argues,
calling for “minimum common elements of citizenship” to apply to all
learners.
“Bob Fryer’s analysis truly extends the debate”, says Tom
Schuller, Director of the Inquiry. “It reminds us of the roots of
democratic citizenship. We cannot train people to be citizens; they
need to gain a real sense of power over their lives, as individuals
and as members of wider communities, and that’s where lifelong
learning is an essential enabling force.”
The 12 principles:
- Focus on the learners’ own interests needs and priorities
- Begin with people’s own experiences
- Be genuinely lifelong and life-wide
- Embrace all types of learning from formal education through to
incidental learning
- Help develop learners’ independent and critical thinking
skills
- Connect learning with action
- Link learning to real prospects of greater autonomy for
citizens
- Base learning on principles and practices of social justice
- Engage people in inclusive and democratic methods of learning
for citizenship
- Promote wide-ranging discussion around the importance of
diversity and difference
- Give all adults an annual “entitlement” to post-school
learning
- Provide public investment through a “community chest” to
sustain lifelong learning for citizenship
Read Bob Fryer's paper "Lifelong Learning, Citizenship and
‘Belonging': a briefing paper"
here - [PDF]