A Guardian article about the influential adult educator Alan Tuckett has resurfaced on social media this week. It’s almost 2 years old but very relevant as adult learners begin a new academic year of part-time courses.
Alan Tuckett is a prominent campaigner for adult education including what he calls, “seriously useless learning” – by which he means learning that offers no immediate obvious route into employment but has demonstrably positive benefits. The Guardian article gives some examples of how effective part-time adult education can be.
A news item published today by the University of Oxford adds to the evidence that adult education has many benefits. In partnership with the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA), the largest voluntary sector provider of adult education in England and Scotland, a team from Oxford’s department of experimental psychology studied attendees at seven separate day-time adult education classes. Their findings are published in a series of papers which can be found by following links from the University’s website here.
Dr Eiluned Pearce who led the research said: ‘The students reported benefits including increased self-confidence, a greater feeling of control over their lives and more willingness to take on new challenges. Some said the classes made them more motivated to be more active, despite the classes not specifically involving physical activity.
Many students will be embarking on learning journeys this month. Some will have specific plans to make their journey a commute to work or a better job. They know what they want to learn, where they want to go and how long they will take to get there. Others will be starting learning expeditions, explorations, adventures or even jaunts. Who knows where their courses will take them? What difference will it make to families to have adults who are intellectually curious, creative and excited about finding out more about all sorts of subjects? What will the impact be on students’ health, well-being, confidence, competence and sense of belonging?
Alan Tuckett and others make a strong case but voices like his are needed more than ever as the numbers of adult learners decline and yet more opportunities for adult learning are lost with the sad news that the University of Leicester plans to close Vaughan Center for Lifelong Learning. We need to work hard to reverse this trend.
Joanna Cain will take over the role of Deputy CEO and Director of Education at the WEA when I retire from the post at the end of this month. Jo is currently the Head of Learning and Organising Services at the public service union UNISON and has worked closely with the WEA on partnership initiatives including the longstanding “Return to Learn” workplace learning project. She is also an experienced educator with many years of experience in developing and delivering adult learning. I’m delighted that someone as principled and steeped in lifelong learning has been appointed and am enjoying getting to know Jo better as we plan a smooth handover.
It’s been an immense privilege to work for the WEA.
I’ve been inspired so often by students’ stories, by volunteers’ generosity with their time and talents and by colleagues who really care about their work. I’m more grateful than I can say for all the support that I’ve received from friends and colleagues over the years within the WEA and more widely.
I will keep an active interest in adult education but retirement from the WEA will mean changes for this blog and my social media identities.
This blog’s title will change to “Lifelong Learning Matters” but the content will remain.
My new Twitter name will be @_AnnWalker but this will be a continuation of my existing account.
I don’t think this will affect any of my social media relationships, which should adjust automatically, unless you choose to make changes.
Joanna tweets as @joanna_cain. She’s well worth following as well as the WEA’s official Twitter account at @WEAadulted.
Brilliant award winners were outstanding stars at the Northern England Adult Learners’ Week ceremony in Leeds Civic Hall on Friday 5 June. It was a fitting setting. Built in the 1930s depression, the impressive Civic Hall was a job creation project, providing work and training for adults who would otherwise have been unemployed.
The award winners were:
Christine Foskett – Raising Aspirations Award, sponsored by the HEART partnership
This is the 24th year of Adult Learners’ Week celebrations, led by NIACE, the National Institute of Adult and Continuing Education. There were 1,175 nominations nationally, with 425 nominations being received in the 3 Northern English Regions. The standard was high, giving the selection panel some rich reading and difficult choices. The panel members were:
Louise Mycroft from Northern College
Paul Amann and Nicola Thorpe from the WEA
Tony Norbury from Merseyside Union Learn
Maggi Butterworth from Swarthmore Education Centre
Janet Golding of Trinity College London
Derek Whitehead from Leeds College of Building
It was a privilege to act as Master / Mistress of Ceremonies for the event.
We heard about partnerships, supportive networks and collaboration throughout a day of passion, pride & powerful stories. People described starting points for their own learning or for their students’ journeys – often talking about isolation, lack of confidence, low levels of qualifications and difficult personal circumstances. They have made undreamed-of progress on their learning journeys.
The inspiring success stories and clear evidence of significant returns on investment in adult education came a day after the Chancellor announced the prospect of even more cuts for the FE sector.
People spoke of their fears and frustration about short-sighted funding cuts, especially in light of the “Northern Powerhouse” concept which would depend on high calibre talents and skills. Cutting off the supply instead of investing in adult learning and further education is illogical if we are trying to improve prosperity and lessen inequality.
Tom Stannard of NIACE captured the shared enthusiasm for adult learning in this short video clip.
.
Following the theme of investment, there was plenty of evidence that the learning bug is infectious, with successful students talking about using their own growing expertise to ‘give something back’ by acting as teachers and mentors, supporting others to follow their examples.
Presentations by the WEA’s “Inclusion in Rugby” project and the “Bridges to Learning” project, run in partnership by Unison, the Open University and the WEA showed the impact and reach of adult learning in very different settings. Both projects had featured in previous Adult Learners’ Weeks, showing that progress goes on after award ceremonies. They are not the end of people’s learning and development.
Showcase project – Inclusion in Rugby
Flanked by ex-Sports Minister, Gerry Sutcliffe, WEA tutor Mark Goodwin and members of the Bumble Bee Barbarians mixed ability rugby team described the team’s incredible story.
Former Sports Minister and Bumble Bees’ Patron, Gerry Sutcliffe, joined Mark Goodwin and Bumbles players in their presentation
Anthony Brooke, who was born with cerebral palsy, was a student in one of Mark’s assertiveness courses. Anthony’s ambition was to play full contact rugby. What followed, including the formation of the Bumble Bees team, has been magical. Mark and the Bumbles worked with Jane Bilton, a WEA Organiser, and were able to set up a class for players with Learning Disabilities – the WEA Inclusion in Rugby Group – aiming to promote disability awareness, social inclusion and equality through rugby.
The players created a promotional training package and presentation designed to encourage the creation of new inclusive teams and the expansion of mixed ability rugby. They have become unstoppable, with prestigious individual and group awards for Anthony, Mark and the Bumbles, television appearances and the formation of IMAS, an International Mixed Ability Sports community interest company.
They are now central to organising the first Mixed Ability Rugby World Tournament in Bradford and are learning how to raise funds. You can find out more (and donate) here.
Showcase Project – “Bridges to Learning”
Moving onto another project with far-reaching results, Anne Hansen and Unison Union Learning Reps (ULRs) showed the “Bridges to Learning” initiative’s impact.
The partnership project involves volunteers who take learning into workplaces. It encourages workers in the health, social care and education sectors to develop in their jobs through taking part in learning and training. Staff and volunteers work with employers to create recognised progression routes for individuals and teams to move forward.
The ULRs spoke enthusiastically about their own learning and how they encourage others to further their education. The statistics they shared were striking, showing the project’s reach and effects.
John Barker and the event organisers from the WEA’s Yorkshire and Humber region showed how a successful celebration can be staged with limited resources and endless patience.
The nominated learners, tutors, employers and projects showed the power and value of lifelong learning. It is precious and potent. Everyone who was present believes that we must stand up for adult learning.
The stories and statistics of success are compelling.
Scottish Widows, the Insurance division of Lloyds Banking Group, organised an event in Parliament last night for WEA students, volunteers, staff, MPs from England, Scotland and Wales and people from partner organisations. We are grateful to Fiona Mactaggart MP, who not only hosted the evening, but who is well-known to WEA students in Slough.
Fiona Mactaggart MP welcoming guests to the Parliamentary event
Scottish Widows is working with the WEA to support adults returning to education and to reduce financial and social inclusion, as well as building a greater understanding of financial planning. 400 Scottish Widows’ staff have been sharing their skills and knowledge with over 2,000 WEA students, volunteers and staff. Some have helped students in ESOL classes with speaking and listening skills while others have volunteered in employability workshops designed to help students to identify their strengths and skills for finding jobs. This film explains more:
The main purpose of the Parliamentary event was to launch a WEA report on “Securing a better future for women”. As well as Fiona Mactaggart, speakers included Toby Strauss, Group Director for insurance at Lloyds Banking Group and CEO of Scottish Widows, Ruth Spellman, the WEA’s CEO and Hazel Richardson, a WEA tutor from Yorkshire.
Speakers: Top left: Fiona Mactaggart Top Right: Toby Strauss Bottom Left: Ruth Spellman Bottom Right: Hazel Richardson
The report examines priorities for helping women, particularly those who are older, into work or better job opportunities and development. It suggests urgent action in three areas:
giving women the confidence to take up and progress in work;
provide them with the skills businesses need;
and provide more opportunities for flexible working in the workplace.
Around 75% of WEA students are women, with many of them from disadvantaged backgrounds. The WEA has campaigned for the rights of women since it was founded in 1903, with early public advocacy of nursery education and the suffragette movement.
This report is part of the WEA’s ongoing campaign on Women Overcoming Disadvantage. More information is available here.
You can find out more about the event and download the report here.
Working in an organisation that covers England and Scotland with sister organisations in other countries, it’s often apparent that discussion of adult education in England can be a bit parochial and inward looking unless we are open to learning from further afield. I’m looking forward to meeting colleagues from ABF, the Swedish WEA, in London this week. It’s always instructive to compare notes about our students’ experiences and opportunities as well as the social and policy contexts for our work.
Making connections between European countries has never been easier. EPALE, the European Platform for Adult Learning in Europe is a virtual space where all adult educators can exchange ideas, resources and views. It’s free to register on their website here. Further information about EPALE’s UK launch can be found here.
It’s important that engagement with other countries is also open to students, especially if they might not usually have opportunities to experience life in different nations or cultures.
The WEA’s Europe, Democracy and Citizenship in the 21st Centuryproject is aimed at adults who want to learn more about Europe and the European Union and then take back what they have learnt back in to their communities. The course includes a study visit to Brussels and is designed to enable students to gain knowledge, new information and contacts as well as new skills.
The course will consider the following:
• What is Europe?
• What is the European Union and how and why has it developed as it has?
• How does the EU work and could it work better?
• How can our communities be heard and how can we influence decision making?
• How does Europe need to change for the people?
The WEA is raising money for the study visit to give opportunities for those who would not normally have them and we are grateful for EU Parliamentary support for the project.
It’s very sad to hear that Anne Casey, a former colleague, died suddenly this morning after a period of illness.
Anne Casey
Anne joined the WEA as a Manager for Employer Engagement and Trade Union Partnerships in September 2005. She worked with us until March 2008 when she left to take up a post with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) working on developing their Learning Centres. She was involved in various global solidarity campaigns in her role as a Union Skills Co-ordinator with the ICTU.
Anne was a very committed, supportive and likeable WEA colleague who made a positive difference during her time with us. Many people will mourn her passing.
It is very sad to record another death in the WEA with the untimely passing of Alan Petford, a well-known and respected tutor. Alan was 61 years old and had been ill for several months before his death on 11 February.
Alan Petford (1953 – 1915)
Kenneth Wilson, the voluntary Treasurer of the WEA’s Yorkshire and Humber Region, described Alan as, “an inspirational tutor with the WEA and Leeds University who will be greatly missed by many staff and students.” Alan was a graduate of Oxford University and had been a history teacher in grammar schools in Lancashire and West Yorkshire before his early retirement from school teaching. He served as a school governor at Hipperholme Grammar School until his death.
Alan was an expert professional historian who shared an encyclopaedic knowledge of local heritage and architecture through teaching, research, writing, archiving and membership of voluntary groups such as the Chapels Trust, Saddleworth Trust and Hulme Archiving Team. He was generous with his time and his enthusiasm for his subject was infectious. He was the author and co-author of several books.
The WEA has started the search for my successor as Deputy Chief Executive and Director for Education.
I wrote to Trustees last July to let them know that I planned to retire at the end of June 2015, but it still seems strange to see the advert for the job appearing on the WEA’s website and in my Twitter timeline today.
The role is within a newly restructured Senior Management Team and is becoming vacant at an exciting time of planned change for the Association.
Working with the WEA is a great chance to be part of a vision-driven organisation with an illustrious history and a continued focus on adult education for social purpose.
Are you interested in the job or do you know someone who might be? If so, please do follow the link in the tweet or share the message.
The WEA’s curriculum is based on the four themes of Employability, Health and Wellbeing, Community Engagement and Culture. The themes are not mutually exclusive and it’s always good to see tutors being creative in how they use their time, imagination and resources to stimulate students and enrich their learning.
Hazel Richardson, a WEA tutor teaching in Bradford, is generous in sharing ideas and updates from her ESOL classes. Her tweets are a good example of reflective practice and show how adult ESOL students benefit from her keen interest and enthusiasm in inspiring and challenging them..
Hazel tweeted last term about students visiting Bagshaw Museum and voting in a local consultation. This week she reported that students watched the “This Girl Can” film as a stimulus for discussion and learning.
The film is part of a topical campaign and raises a lot of issues for discussion. You can find out more about it here.
The campaign has been developed by Sport England and is attracting well-deserved attention. It’s a challenging choice to prompt critical thinking and debate as ESOL students improve their English language skills. The Independent reported on the campaign fairly positively here but a piece in the Guardian’s “Comment is free” section asserted that, “The This Girl Can campaign is all about sex, not sport”. You can read this opinion here.
What do you think of the “This Girl Can” campaign and how might it be embedded in teaching, learning and assessment across the curriculum?
Past blogs have included examples of literacy and numeracy sessions in supermarkets, with students putting their learning into practice in situations that are directly relevant to their daily lives, and of enriching ESOL lessons with the Six Book Challenge or Quick Reads.
Any other examples of resources or ideas to ginger up teaching and learning in ESOL or across educational themes to keep learning inspiring, challenging, relevant and effective?
I missed “Adult Education – Another Rant” by Peter Ryley, who blogs under the name of “Fat Man on a Keyboard”, when he published it in October. He was responding to Peter Wilby’s Guardian article about Alan Tuckett.
Here is an extract from Peter Ryley’s blog, which you can find here.
The picture of adult education that, “It’s just flower arranging, tap dancing, Pilates, lonely old folk going to dusty classrooms to learn about the Tudors”, was never the whole truth. There may have been a time in the post-war boom when so-called ‘leisure classes’ were the most visible part of our provision, but it is atypical of our history. Political radicalism, social egalitarianism and adult education marched together as part of a movement for emancipation; the Mechanics Institutes, working class autodidacts and self-improvement associations, the university extension movement, the WEA, trade union education, the residential colleges, Birkbeck and so on, were all constructed in the belief that what we now tend to call lifelong learning was central to the creation of a better society and to the development of individuals and communities. It was a cause.
And we lost this sense of mission, together with its language, and with them went the provision, as Wilby makes clear in an understated way. Fighting back with utilitarian justifications was always going to seem to be special pleading. We need to recover that vision of human possibility, though I fear it is too late.
I had a glimpse of just how much adult education is a deep human need today when my window cleaner tried to recruit me for his pub quiz team. He was intrigued by the number of books he saw in the house and thought I might help them win things. He described how he reads anything and everything, sitting in bed every night with a factual book, learning. He loves learning things, anything. Adult education’s problem is that this is seen as having no utility, a private pleasure maybe, but never a public good. I see it as something more, as a human right. And we’re losing it.
The WEA and others share his vision of human possibility and education for public good and we know it’s never too late to highlight the cause. It’s too important to give up on and there is kernel of determined support for it.
In the WEA we have reaffirmed our traditional commitment to adult education for collective and social benefit as well as for individual advancement. Our longstanding vision and mission are back at the heart of our planning and we are not alone in seeing education for social purpose as a vital part of a civilised society. Mechanics’ Institutes might have gone but we are still working alongside residential colleges such as Northern College and Ruskin, as well as trade union educators, Birkbeck and other universities.
We are still active in (non-party) political education, community engagement and self-improvement – as well as, yes, running courses about the Tudors as Peter Ryley mentioned. There is a demand for community based part-time, high quality, tutor-led Humanities courses.
The Winter edition of WEA News shows how the Specialist Designated Institutions – Hillcroft College, City Lit, Fircroft College, the Mary Ward Centre, Northern College, Ruskin College, Morley College, the Working Men’s College and the WEA – are still going strong and continuing to raise the profile of adult education while we working with our students and their communities. You can read it here.
Adult and Community Learning is an important, but often overlooked, part of the education landscape so any further rants in support of lifelong, life-wide are very welcome!
Lifelong Learning Matters 
Recent Comments