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Latest News: May 2002
Adult Learners' Week Press Releases
Other News (full stories below)
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Results of Adult Participation Survey 2002
NIACE has published the results of its annual survey into adult participation in learning, which this year is entitled Two steps forward and one step back.
The key findings this year are:
 | we have made little progress over a generation in tackling the learning divide. |
| participation by women equals that of men for the first time in more than twenty years. |
| There has been a fall in participation from the 2001 survey. However, participation among 20-24-year-olds, unemployed people and others who are not working rose over the year. |
| This year's findings are a correction in a trend where participation has risen steadily over the last six years, except for the least skilled and retired, and for 17-19 year olds, where there has been a growth in the numbers at work. |
| However, participation rates among retired people have remained steady or dropped. |
| The trend towards online learning reveals another dimension of the continuing learning divide. |
In the introduction to the survey, Alan Tuckett, Director of NIACE writes:
"All in all, the survey shows the need for sustained policies to stimulate demand if we are to create a learning society for all. If the overall trend shows rising participation in the last six years, it shows, too that progress reinforces the gap between the learning haves and the learning have-nots. We are a society where 9 in 10 believe that learning makes a positive difference to their work chances, to quality of life, and to their children's prospects. Yet 1 in 4 of us still believe that learning is not for the likes of us. Until we change those perceptions, and the responsiveness of our system to the needs of that quarter of the population, participation surveys are likely to report at best modest progress."
| The Survey, entitled "Two Steps Forward and One Step Back" can now be purchased online. Chapter 1 (The Introduction) and Chapter 2 (Participation in Learning) can also be downloaded as PDF files. |
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ESOL Training Project
The training events for the National ESOL Training Project are recruiting well, so if you have yet to book your place check out the following page to see which courses still have vacancies.
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NIACE supports European Conference
5th International LLINE Conference:
"Social Capital and Citizenship: adult learning and the future of humanity"
Helsinki 5 - 7 June, 2002
The goal of The Fifth LLinE Conference is to clarify concepts of social capital and citizenship and discuss ways to increase social capital and support participative citizenship.
Why?
Research tells us that social capital, measured with indicators like
participation in NGOs, voting activity, participation in school meetings,
informal socializing and trust in others’ goodwill and honesty, is diminishing
in the western world. Low voting rates are a common European problem, informal
socializing is given less time, children are vulnerable in the harsh market
economy world which hits them directly and through pressures on their parents.
We know that participation, co-operation and trust increase people’s well-being yet it seems difficult to find means to promote them.
It has become difficult to see what citizenship really means today. The fuzziness of the concept is caused also by other factors than the obvious nation state vs. the European Union. Where do the powers lie that define the framework of people’s lives, and how to influence them? What is participative, critical citizenship? How to gain control of our own lives? What is the role of adult education in this difficult scene, and what should it be?
The conference aims to promote democracy, understanding of civil society and of new many-dimensional citizenship. Paulo Freire and the Nordic tradition of adult education, among others, have in their approaches and results proved their effectiveness. How do we now read the signs of social alienation in many parts of society? What kind of adult education approach does our today call for?
How?
The LLinE Conference hopes to combine theory and practice. There will be
international experts, group discussions and workshops.
For whom?
The target groups are researchers, educationists, NGOs and decision makers,
people who meet, for example, the problematics of globalisation in working life and in
families.
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More information |
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Improving provision for disabled students
If your work concerns students with disabilities you may be interest in the
latest Circular from HEFCE (The Higher Education Funding Council for England): 'Improving
provision for disabled students: HEFCE
strategy and invitation to bid for funds 2003-05'
(HEFCE 02/21).
This document sets out how HEFCE are including disability issues in other funding streams, particularly those for learning and teaching and widening participation. It invites bids for a three-year special funding programme to improve provision specifically for students with disabilities, from the calendar years 2003 to 2005.
Initial expressions of interest are to arrive at HEFCE by Friday 24 May 2002.
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New on the Site - May 2002(A list of pages which have been recently added or updated on the NIACE website) Conferences Section:
Publications Section:
Campaigns & Promotions Section:
Projects / Programmes
Influencing Public Policy / Advocacy
Information Services Section
Miscellaneous
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