I wanted to take the opportunity to respond to some of the comments on my last blog; they have certainly helped to clarify my thinking and hopefully were useful to others.
Firstly I agree that a definition of ‘employability’ is essential. This should include the development of skills, knowledge and information that support the student in finding employment and/or improving their employment position. We should also provide some contextual discussion about work, employment and society. A clear definition would give the student (potential student) a better idea of what we could offer them; it would also discourage the notion that ‘employability’ simply means job search skills.
Secondly, and this is where I found the work done in Higher Education useful, we need to say how it is provided. ‘Employability’ can be seen as an overarching curricular theme rather than just a set of courses or programmes. Within this theme could be included:
• Programmes that are primarily vocational such as Community Interpreting, Support Work in Schools, Initial Teacher Training etc
• Programmes where employability skills are embedded say within some English, Maths or language courses
• ‘Mini-modules’ in employability topics that can be done independently or can be embedded in another programme
• ‘Enhancement activities’ such as visits, placements, volunteering opportunities etc
• Information, Advice and Guidance providing support on progression routes into employment or volunteering
This approach combines providing a framework to support those who are interested in WEA provision for ‘employability’ reasons whilst recognising that many courses and programmes have a range of outcomes. For example someone on a craft course, with ’employability’ aims, could work with their tutor to identify and record the transferable employment skills (team working, communications etc) and be advised of a further course, or mini-module, about using craft skills in an employment context (for example setting up a social enterprise).
Some of the comments expressed a concern that focus on employability could be at the expense of other programmes such as those about community development and cohesion and or those associated with liberal adult education provision, with a personal development focus. Many people, as we know, join adult education classes to ‘keep the old grey matter ticking over’ or ‘enjoy learning for the sake of it’ and don’t want to be shoe horned into a particular direction.
I can see where these concerns are coming from, particularly a sense that there’s a strong central government steer towards employability. However, it need not be a zero sum game. Part of my argument is that many of our students do have employability intentions and we should do our best for them. A coherent approach would help us to do that much better. But a traditional strength of adult education (not just WEA) is the mixed economy of provision and the range and variety of outcomes students achieve. This is part of our continuing argument about the importance of adult education and is, I think recognised within the policy community, for example in Government’s approach to the objectives of Adult Community Learning. I don’t however think we should say that we don’t do employability; it’s far too important for thousands of disadvantaged adult students to say that.
The final area of comment was about the need to keep, or develop a critical approach to employability rather than treat the current labour market and employment situation as unproblematic. I agree with this and critical thinking is an important ‘employability’ skill. There is a rich literature about employment that explores, for example, the impact of class, gender, ethnicity and disability on employment experience and prospects. This formed part of the WEA ‘Access to Higher Education’ programme we used to run in Birmingham. Many of the issues in the debate resonated well with the students who were mainly low paid workers, quite a few of whom had experienced prolonged spells of unemployment. One of the main challenges for us as adult educators is to find the point of connection between the initial motivation and ambitions of our students and wider debates and arguments that we think would interest them.
Ok, that’s enough. Hopefully the discussion will continue although I think my next blog will be on health and wellbeing and what parallel, and distinctive, approaches can be taken there.
Austerity, poverty, social exclusion, high unemployment and the decline in social mobility…all these pressing contemporary issues must make us think about how adult education can support people in getting a job, or if they’ve got a job – a better one.
Adult education has had a longstanding if at times uncomfortable relationship with employability. It brings to the fore the tensions between the state’s priorities, employers’demands, the aspirations and needs of disadvantaged adult students, and the mission and purpose of providers of adult education and their partner organisations.
Yet many of the most exciting and innovative adult education programmes of the 1980’s and 1990’s included an explicit labour market focus:
– ‘Second Chance’ in Liverpool grew out of a job-creation scheme
– The impact of ‘women returners’ hugely enriched adult and further education particualrly in the latter quarter of the last century
– The ‘Access to Higher Education’ movement (predominately in FE but stretching across WEA, Universities, the residential colleges etc) enabled thousands of educationally disadvantaged adults to progress through adult, further and higher education into white collar, professional and managerial jobs
– Unison ‘Return to Learn’ (R2L) takes ‘second chance’ principles to tens of thousands of low paid public service workers; R2L students progress in many different ways: academically, through their union and in their employment at a time of significant job re-structuring
But we can view employability more widely. Looking at programmes from the student’s point of view: often the intention is to get a job, or a better job, even though the course itself isn’t specifically designed to help them do this. A good example of this is community based ESOL programmes where many students report improved employment prospects as a result of their course.
The WEA as an employer and as a voluntary organisation contributes to employability. Many ‘home grown tutors’ begin as students and – with training and support – progress from tenuous part-time employment into established posts. Volunteering, too, can provide a bridge into employment.
So, it is part of what we do. Pushed to define an ‘adult education’ approach to employability we’d list the capacity to reach deep into disadvantaged and marginal communities (providing a first step); the importance of a broad and more liberal curriculum; the stretching of students’ horizons educationally and vocationally (hence fuelling social mobility) and an emphasis on a variety of outcomes, not just employment. A distinctive approach is discernible.
Undoubtedly during this century the terms of trade have moved against this vision both in the labour market and state policy. The expansion of white collar professional and managerial jobs (particularly in the public sector) has halted and the opportunities for disadvantaged adults to progress through education have reduced significantly. And, partly in response to this, and to the growth in unemployment, state policy (and what the government will fund) has narrowed considerably. New Labour had its supply side obsession with level 2 qualifications and the Coalition has its reductionist ‘payment by results’ focus on job outcomes. In addition the costs to the individual of education (particularly at degree level) have grown exponentially, deterring many adults from pursuing it.
So where does that leave us? The WEA certainly is still able to make a strong case that we contribute to employability in important and potentially distinctive ways. We do a great deal of work with really marginal groups (such as homeless people and those recovering from alcohol and substance abuse). The emphasis is on re-engaging in different ways with local communities including employment and volunteering.
Adult education provision doesn’t fit into neat boxes. Many of the skills and much of the knowledge is of value in the labour market; communications, problem solving, team working are part of the adult education ‘core curriculum’. In the same way, students use what they learn on courses in different ways; many students on English, Maths and Language courses see them as a way to improve employment prospects. Similarly skills from craft courses can be turned to economic advantage through self employment or social enterprise. Finally we have a number of ‘niche’ courses such as Community Interpreting that clearly support employment, enabling students to use vital but often undervalued skills and experience.
So is this good enough? I think that a more open and unabashed approach would pay dividends for adult students and organisations such as the WEA.
Firstly there is much to be said for making the implicit explicit. If students are learning things that could help their employment prospects, make sure that they know, draw out the relevance and record it. Provide opportunities for students to learn about how their skills can be used in an employment setting, through the curriculum or by putting them in touch with a specialised agency.
Secondly, there is more to progression than skills and qualifications. People progress through networks, connections and pathways (as we know from seeing how the political process works with its interlocking social and professional networks and lobbying ). We need to help our students build their own networks and connections so that they know where the information, support and opportunities are for them.
The WEA has identified employability as a curriculum priority. Part of what we are doing is expanding some of our niche courses, such as Community Interpreting, and identifying new ones that can help people make use of skills and experience that are currently dormant, or used mainly in a voluntary capacity. It’s also important to provide educational opportunities and links into higher education and professional training rather than simply reproduce exisiting job inequalities. The WEA’s partnership with the Open University, and attempts to revive links with other universities are important here. There is a real gap created by the demise of university adult education.
Finally we need to look at what we can do as an employing and voluntary organisation to create opportunities for people both to progress ‘from the periphery to the core’ and to gain employment (such as paid interns), trainees (apprentices?) or volunteers that they can use to improve their employment prospects. The WEA (and other adult education organisations) have a wealth of knowledge and experience (not just teaching and learning, but community and voluntary work as well as support functions such as IT, admin and finance). These can be shared to the benefit of all.
I’ve recently come back from doing a decent stretch of the Tour de Mont Blanc (TMB). Not surprisingly, it was thoroughly enjoyable being in the mountains and getting a range of perspectives on this beautiful part of the Alps.
Jovet Lac- a detour on the route up to Col du Bonhomme
What is TMB? It’s a mountain walk that skirts the Mont Blanc massif; about ten day’s walking if you do 6-7 hours a day. The altitudes are 1,000m to 2,600+ going up and down mountain passes and valleys with some alpine villages on the way. Usually done July-September when most of the snow has gone at that height. There is a well signed route (finger posts and way-marks) with some alternatives and additions. It can be done clockwise or anti-clockwise (the guidebooks debate this). We went anti-clockwise.
Views of the glaciers and peaks of the massif
In practice there is quite a lot of flexibility about how you do it with short or long stages and rest days. Lots of people do just some of it to fit in with the time available, or skip bits. We started at les Contamines and went round to le Tour. We skipped a bit by taking a bus from Courmeyeur to Arnuva, walking over Grand Col Ferret and down to la Fouly village and then getting a bus from there to Champex. Six days walking in all. We were ‘self-guided’ but our main baggage was transported for us so that meant carrying just a day sac, other than for two of the days. Some want to do the whole tour as a challenge some as quickly as possible. Some stretches can be done by mountain bike.
What’s the walking like? Most of the stages involve at least one major ascent and descent; say around 1,000 metres up and the same down. So it’s roughly equivalent to doing one of the main Lake District or North Wales peaks each day, plus some more. Many of the paths are mature having been used for trade, farming and connecting isolated village communities for hundreds of years. The route out of Les Contamines goes back to Roman times. So the ascents can be steep and pretty tiring (especially if you’re overweight and a bit out of condition) but they’re not technical and – of course – there’s the huge pleasure of reaching the top of a col (pass) and a whole new vista opening up.
The ascent to Col du Bonhomme
A big attraction is the variety of the landscape. TMB goes round the Mont Blanc massif so you’re always getting different perspectives on the glaciers, peaks, needles and gorges. The route goes through France, Italy and Switzerland and mixes pastoral valleys with farms, hamlets and small villages with bleaker and rockier mountainsides and lakes. The numbers of flowers, in mid-July, took me by surpise; the mountainsides were carpeted in purple, blue and yellow. We also saw plenty of wildlife including ibex and marmottes.
An Alpine astred; one of a mass of flowers on the TMB
To get the most out of a walk like this, it’s important to be able to recuperate. A lot of the pleasure is concentrated physical activity followed by rest and food! TMB is well served by accommodation- mountain refuges as well as B&B, gites d’etape and small hotels in the villages. The location of some of the refuges is superb; it’s hard to beat ending the day and starting the next one high up in the mountains.
The refuge at Col de Croix du Bonhomme (2433 metres)
The refuges on TMB are mainly open mid-June to mid-late September; the facilities are fine if you like communal living- meals are taken together round large tables and sleeping is in dormitories. In our experience there’s a good collective ethos (a bit like the youth hostels of yesteryear): friendliness, sharing and respect for other users- for instance a tacit ‘lights out’ at ten in the evening. A whole mix of people were doing TMB; young teens with their parents up to many past 60 (me included). Some on their own, some in twos and threes, and groups, some guided and some not.
What about the weather? As I’ve said it’s basically a summer walk but that doesn’t guarrantee the weather. In fact the changes in the weather during the day, and at different heights, is one of the characteristics of mountains and a an attraction. We went during the second week of July and the weather was mixed: sun, showers, some low cloud, windy on top.
Sun breaking through low clouds as we go up to Col de la Forclaz
The rain and low cloud did mean that we couldn’t do the high route from Champex over la Fenetre d’Arpette, a highlight of TMB but dangerous in bad weather conditions.
So: well worth doing. Have a read of one of the guidebooks beforehand and plan a route that suits you. All the best!
What will be the effect of the government’s review into Further Education (FE) professionalism? Certainly, the interim report, published recently, has been criticised for de-regulating an important area of professional work. But how effective was that structure of professionalism going to be? And what is the likely impact of an alternative approach?
As far as adult education is concerned I can’t see how the the 2007 Regulations, with required qualifications, Institute for Learning (IfL) membership and reporting annually on Continuing Professional Development (CPD), were ever going to happen. Whilst there is a ‘core work-force’ of managers, organisers and some teachers, the majority of those working as adult education tutors are part-time (often very part-time) and many are pursuing ‘portfolio careers’ . The notion of the ‘license to practice’ contained in the regulations was too costly, time consuming and complex for many current tutors and acted as a deterrent to those tempted to join us. Yet the development of ‘home grown’ tutors has been one of adult education’s major achievements. The notion of the ‘associate teaching role’ as a sort of half way house was always (as the interim review recognised) a non-starter. In fact most adult tutors have a high degree of autonomy and are responsible for planning their courses, classroom management etc.
What’s happened in practice is that, whilst the preparatory course (PTLLS) has proved popular, many tutors then get by ‘working towards’ a full qualification whilst others decamp into freelance work. It’s increasingly common for tutors to set up on their own (sometimes taking their class with them!) charging a fee (often on a per-class basis) to provide some income and pay for accommodation. Many village halls, for example, advertise courses such as yoga, pilates, ICT, painting and drawing; usually provided on a freelance basis. Thus the drive for regulation actually leads to greater de-regulation.
Reducing or removing the regulatory framework doesn’t remove the problem but transfers it to the providing organisation. In fact I feel there are two aspects: the tenuous nature of many tutors’ employment and the cultural and organisational gap between many tutors and their employing organisation. The latter point was very well made in a piece of research I read some time ago that described part-time tutors as ‘ragged trousered philanphropists’; the reference to Tressell’s classic work has subsequently been used by others commenting on FE and Adult Education tutors. The researchers’ point was that tutors exist at the heart of teaching and learning but at the fringes of power and resources – hence ‘ragged trousered’. The philanphropy referred to them doing ‘over and above’ that which was required of them in order to meet the many and varied needs of their students. The outlook of many tutors was that they were the guardians of the students’ interests whilst the employing institutionwas driven by funding, audit and regulatory requirements. Their immediate managers or tutor organisers were viewed more sympathetically as, although hard pressed, they were primarily engaged in supporting tutors and enabling provision to happen.
Understanding this perspective (without necessarily entirely accepting it ) helps to explain the visceral reaction of many tutors to IfL membership especially after charges were introduced. It was widely seen by them as a ‘top-down’ requirement and bureaucratically driven rather than serving their needs as practising tutors. Certainly that was the gist of the many emails the WEA received on the subject from tutors.
One of the ways we plan to try to overcome this gap within the WEA is by introducing an employee development scheme for our tutors; this will provide small grants to undertake training or CPD activities of their own choice. This might be a contribution towards the cost of attending a conference or day school, or following a course. The idea is not new (it’s based on a successful scheme Fords introduced in the early 1990s) but it is a gesture of confidence in our tutoring staff and support for them in identifying and planning for their own CPD needs. It will also give us lots of ‘bottom up’ information about training needs and be better placed to plan to meet them.
There is also great scope via the web to engage with, and provide services for tutors. There is an active Twitter community of FE teachers(particularly ESOL ones); this is something from which the WEA and the wider adult adult education movement could learn. In addition we can use our website to promote debate and information sharing. I think the aim should be to address a wide tutor community, not simply WEA employees, as many move across and between a number of institutions.
Finally of course there is the continuing responsibility to ensure staff are appropriately trained and qualified. The experience of PTLLS has, I think, demonstrated the value of preparatory training particularly when it can be tweaked to meet the interest and subject specialism of the tutor and the mission of the organisation. At the other end of the scale, staff building a longer term career need to be encouraged and supported in studying for a diploma level qualification. My concern is that our staff training and CPD policies engage with, and address the diverse needs of our tutors (and other staff) rather than focus on complying with a regulatory system that is not fit for purpose.
At the beginning of March month I spent some time getting out and about in WEA South West Region visiting classes, partner organisations, meetings of volunteers and local centres. It was a very positive experience and I learnt a lot from it.
1. The geography is a challenge. Okay I knew that anyway but you need to experience it to understand it. It’s about 250 miles from the north of Gloucestershire to the south west of Cornwall although the route along the main spine down the M5 and then on to Truro is okay (other than summer, I guess) but East/West connections are much more problematical and time consuming, by rail or car. However the geography contains distinctive challenges including the coastal communities (many of which contain high levels of poverty and social disadvantage) and rural isolation. The landscape and sea offer great opportunities to use the ‘great outdoors’ as part of an educational experience. So it’s a postive challenge.
2. There are some great people involved in the WEA as volunteers, learners, tutors and staff across the region. I saw lots of energy, talent and enthusiasm and a real knowledge of local communities and their educational needs. Students invariably talked eloquently and often movingly about the benefits of their classes. A challenge for us is in linking this power of the local with the notion of the WEA as a regional, and national, adult educational movement.
3. Some of our community partnerships’ work is at the cutting edge of contemporary social concerns. Examples include provision in Bristol, Weston and Plymouth. We are working with people with significant drug/alcohol abuse rehabilitation and mental health issues and helping them achieve a lot as individuals and in their communities. Some of the art work produced, for example, is outstanding. We ought to be shouting louder about the impact of WEA adult education in these settings.
4. We provide some great opportunities for serious study of interesting and – at times – idiosyncratic subjects in the arts and humanities. I went to classes on The Art of Cornwall and Modern Poetry as well as visiting a painting and drawing course in Swindon; they were all of a high standard. There ought to be scope to build up this type of stuff, especially amongst the ‘young old’ where there is an interest in something that’s purposeful and structured but doesn’t lead to formal qualifications. There is little comparable provision around these days with the demise of university open studies and the planned increases in Open University fees.
5. We have a duty to promote digital inclusion amongst our learners. At a meeting with the Gloucestershire branches we were discussing isolated village communities and how learners and members could keep in touch with a class that they couldn’t attend one week (for instance because of bad weather) if class materials, activities and links to resources were available on-line. This branched out into talking about members and learners lacking mobility. Digital communications are a way of staying part of a learning community; not as good as ‘face-to-face’ but often better than nothing.
So, plenty to think about.
‘I bet you spend a lot of time on the train’ is the usual comment I get when I tell anyone about my job. And they’re not wrong. Since August I’ve been WEA lead director for London and South West Regions as well as being overall lead for curriculum and provision. So I do spend a fair amount of time travelling back and fro whilst still living in the West Midlands.
Doing this has prompted me to think afresh about the nature of work communities, communicating in a very dispersed organisation, and differences and similarities,
London region’s spacious centre is five minutes from Liverpool Street and just over a couple of hours from home; it serves as a learning centre and meetings’ venue as well as an open-plan staff workplace. Most of the tutor organisers are based here so there’s a work community and plenty of informal contact between us. I’ve mainly worked with the management team to sort some of the immediate problems around the building and filling some of the gaps in the staffing structure. There’s lots of adult education going on in London but I was attracted to working there because I can’t believe there isn’t scope for lots, lots more.
South West region, needless to say, is much more spread out. The meetings, admin and management centre is in Exeter; the accommodation is more compartmentalised so there seems less informal contact between people. The region reaches from the Cotswolds down to Lands End and we have a widespread presence with lots of provision in Plymouth and Bristol. The distances involved mean that it takes me longer to get to know the people in the region and groups of staff only come together occasionally for prearranged meetings.
Getting to know two new regions (previously I was just based in the West Midlands) is shifting my perspective on the organisation. There is a lot that people have in common; the day to day work of organising and supporting adult education is absorbing and those doing it have a strong commitment and ownership of it. This gives the organisation a real resilience. There are lots of examples of challenging and interesting provision that I hadn’t previously heard about. For example SW do a lot of arts based work with groups recovering from substance abuse. London have a link up with an organisation of domestic workers who come along every Sunday for a variety of educational activities. It’s fascinating to think about what has led to the initiation and sustaining of these programmes.
At the same time it’s striking how dealing with the highly complex funding and inspection methodologies are part of our DNA and dominate so much of discussion and planning. We take this for granted and I know it is necessary but it can obstruct looking at problems and concerns from a straightforwardly educational perspective. It may mean that something fairly simple and immensely valuable- the organising of lots of informal courses in response to the needs of different local communities – can become very complicated. Moreover, the dispersed and diverse nature of the organisation does make it difficult to develop a common understanding and practice.
Most evenings I check the dashboard on my blog to see if anyone’s reading it. Blogging seems to me a good way to communicate in a dispersed organisation. It’s an opportunity both to report on activities and to float ideas and get some feedback. I usually aim for about 750 words- long enough to develop an argument but can be read quickly. Several hundred view each blog with some subjects (such as ESOL and IfL) attracting more interest than others from outside the WEA. My Corsica blog attracts a steady trickle and is the main one referred by search engines. It’s not really adult education but it illustrated to me the power of a well led group to enable you to achieve what you doubted was possible. So perhaps it is education. I also tweet intermittently; Twitter’s a good source of information and links and a way of letting people know what you’re doing. It’s been described as eavesdropping on conversations; again it’s there if you want it and another way of communicating .
Back to journeys. I actually quite enjoy being on a train and can usually work with a laptop, writing or reading, I don’t particularly like phone conversations partly because you keep losing the signal and also I feel a bit self conscious going on about the WEA in front of strangers.
However after a few months I’m beginning to feel that the journey from home to the regional offices has become a familar corridor and I am unconnected with the environment in which the actual work takes place. This year I’m hopeful I can really help to develop the organisation but I’m going to have to get out more. I want to see more classes and meet more students, voluntary members, tutors and partners as well as getting a better sense of the geography of these two great regions.
This is a quick up-date on curriculum and provision plans for the first part of 2012. As usual comments and questions are welcome- just post them on the blog.
Firstly Nicky Read has been appointed as Curriculum Manager to work in this area. I look forward to working with her in this important area of activity. Nicky was previously a management team member in Yorkshire and Humberside region and will start her new role in the near future.
It’s been agreed that we’ll go ahead with pilot ‘lead regions’ in three curriculum areas: Health and Well-being, Community Arts and Media and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Each of the lead regions (West Midlands, South West and Southern) has a significant volume of provision and a successful track record in that area. The idea of a pilot (that will be evaluated at the end of this academic year) is to find effective ways to share experience and practice, build and nurture practitioner networks and develop curriculum and approaches to learning. It was felt that the lead region pilot would also provide the best context to explore the idea of project/social purpose planning methodology. All three of these areas attract substantial numbers of learners and have huge potential to explore within the curriculum the contribution of adult learning to community development and social action. I’m really pleased that this pilot can now get off the ground and look forward to working on it.
In addition it was agreed to initiate (or confirm) a number of curriculum networks, again to be led by a particular region with an established expertise in that area. Active Citizenship and Women’s Education both connect significantly with our commitment to equality and democratic citizenship and this provides a way for the experience of two regions (Yorkshire and Humber and East Midlands) to provide focus and drive to expand them. We also wanted to continue two valuable existing networks for Community Interpreting (London) and ICT (East Midlands) and to talk with the Trade Union/Workplace Learning network about how best to develop their work.
The general feeling amongst Skills for Life practitioners was that an operationally focused network (as currently exists) is essential given the particular requirements of that curriculum area. Provision of continuing support for the current network will therefore be a priority.
This is a bit ‘nuts and bolts-ish’ to ensure that people are kept in the loop. I’ll follow it up soon with a more in-depth blog that picks up on some of points in recent debates around curriculum, equality and social purpose. I’m also planning a ‘diary of a journeyman’ that gives some reflection on my WEA work.
Happy New Year to all
There have been lots of valuable comments on my earlier blog; they’re well worth a read. Taking these (and other feedback) into account I’m thinking of refining my approach a bit.
However, it’s worth re-stating the starting point. We need to find ways to ensure that we rise to the challenge of ‘Equality and Inclusivity’, the 2011 Conference themes. To do this we need a curriculum that is challenging, critical and provides context; my proposals are designed to provide a framework or platform that encourages this to develop.
I remain convinced that effective curriculum leadership, as opposed to the management of teaching and learning processes, is essential and that this can best be provided on a devolved basis. This will make use of existing teams, experience and enthusiasm and generate a collaborative approach based on successful practice. Leadership and collaboration will be needed if we are to develop the critical and contextualised approach to different subjects that many people want.
However I can see that an approach of immediately devolving the ‘top ten’ (by volume) subject areas might be a bit mechanical for two reasons. Firstly people need to be convinced that there is a reciprocity of interest involved; that it is worth the while of a team in a particular region putting a lot of effort into supporting and encouraging others in developing that subject area. This is Richard Crisp’s sceptical point. This leads me to think of a pilot project, starting with those willing and able to give it a go. Secondly I’m not sure we should be over guided by volume or necessarily by subject area (as opposed to student group). A strong case has been made for reviving a focus on women’s education and also workplace learning. There are also subject areas that are essential to the Association’s future development (as opposed to current practice) or specialist ones that lend themselves to leadership and co-ordination. So my idea is to kick off with a pilot project around selected curriculum areas. I do not want however to put change on the back burner as curriculum direction lies at the heart of current debates within and without the WEA (and as Mary Hunter points out, they have been going on some time).
The notion of a ‘social purpose’ or ‘project’ methodology has been welcomed; I used the term ‘social purpose’ really to highlight how we need a methodology that focuses on social outcomes and impact. Jol Miskin’s comments illustrate well how this can provide a framework for imaginative local programmes, in that case linking art and community involvement. The approach also addresses localism; a wide range of different educational responses is needed to meet local circumstances (Derek Metters). I welcome a diverse WEA; we should share things more but not aim for a standard offer.
The difficulties with the approach seem to lie with putting it alongside the main contract and finding space, given the pressures on organising staff (Chris Sanders). Okay, these are difficult challenges especially as it’s hard to see overall resources increasing in the medium term. The Association as a whole needs to think about priorities and investing in these if change is desired. I certainly think that regions ought to (and often do) concentrate on priority areas where they feel they can make a difference. This worked in West Midlands with health education; we established a virtuous circle which attracted resources that helped us bring in more staff and expertise which enabled us to enhance our reputation…Essentially I’m saying regions will have to play to their strengths and try to get some economies of scale and team working to get the thing going.
Hopefully this post will keep the discussion going and look forward to hearing from you.
Pete
PS interesting that Lee Davies is leaving IfL
I’ve been given responsibility for Curriculum and Provision within the WEA and want to share some thinking and invite comment. Whilst the focus is on the WEA comment is welcome from all with an interest in adult education.
It is a good time to be debating the future shape and direction of our adult learning curriculum. We are living through turbulent times with widespread questioning of established institutions and ideas. This presents a challenge for adult educators in attempting to inform an understanding of events and action to influence them. Additionally, publicly funded organisations need to justify their expenditure and demonstrate its beneficial impact on individuals and communities. In the WEA we want, as a leading adult education organisation, to be confident we are using our limited resources effectively and demonstrating convincingly the value of our work.
Below are proposals to devolve curriculum leadership and pilot a ‘social purpose’ planning methodology; these changes are intended to create the conditions for a more innovative and challenging curriculum.
Devolution of the curriculum
Diversity in curriculum is a good thing but we don’t make enough of it. What we do where has evolved in response to a range of factors such as history, gaps in local education markets and the expertise and enthusiasm of staff, learners, members and partners. We’re looking at a mosaic not a standardised offer. But these localised and regional strengths can be built upon by asking WEA regions with a particular strength to lead across Association. Such leadership could provide support to other regions, development of the subject area into new directions, and dissemination, building our reputation and profile.
The benefits to the Association as a whole are evident but the ‘lead region’ will also gain by recognition of its expertise and broadening of its identity beyond geographical location.
There is a question for the Association: what curriculum areas should be devolved? This is partly a question of capacity (need people, volume and expertise) and partly one of priorities for the future.
Social purpose planning
Curriculum planning is a complex process fashioned by tensions between the demands of the funding and regulatory regimes on the one hand and ‘responding to local need’ on the other. I have blogged about the refreshing and invigorating impact of projects where educational activities address a clearly defined set of identified needs and desired outcomes, for the individual and the community.
It is commonly felt that ‘projects’ are more innovative and embody a clearer sense of social purpose than ‘mainstream’ provision; the problem is their short term nature. I would like to see a position in which the mainstream is continually refreshed by work that starts off as a local project. Obviously some projects, being experimental, won’t succeed and will remain temporary. At the other end of the spectrum we need to find ways for longstanding provision to be sustained outside of the main funding framework. Some of the recent discussion on learning circles touched on this.
The idea then is to pilot the use of a project (or social purpose) methodology within mainstream provision. This would mean shifting local programmes of work away from the notion of ‘delivery’ to that of ‘projects’ that address identified areas need such as supporting people take up volunteering activities, improve their health and fitness, become more involved with their children’s education etc. The programme structure and reporting would focus on these outcomes in addition to retention and success rates.
This approach will help us think through how our programmes connect with social purpose and spark considerable innovation at a local level as well as build organisational capacity in ‘project development’. Externally, it ought to lead to a constant stream of reports that demonstrate the impact and social purpose of adult education.
I can see that implementing this approach will be a challenge but feel that it could hold the key to further improving our curriculum and we should therefore give it a go.
As ever, comments and questions are very welcome.
The Government’s decision to review qualifications for Further Education (FE) teachers and the Institute for Learning (IfL) is welcome news for adult educators. Hopefully it will give us the opportunity to unpick the current unwieldy arrangements and help construct something better and more suitable for adult education.
Adult tutors are a diverse occupational group. They bring a wide variety of expertise and backgrounds to their teaching and their employment status and career aims differ greatly. For many being a tutor is one way in which to share a specialism, interest or passion; the capacity of adult education to draw on the ‘renowned local expert’ is frequently recognised. For the individual, tutoring may be a minor (albeit important) part of their work lives, it may be part of a wider portfolio or it may be the main source of income and career development.
At the same time the experience of adult tutoring has many common features. Employment is usually insecure, work is often isolated and considerable self sufficiency is needed. The dispersed nature of adult education provision means that for most learners the tutors ‘is the provider’. As the front line staff member, s/he has to respond to a range of operational and pastoral issues as well as academic ones. Many adult tutors feel that although they are at the centre of the learners’ experience, they are at the edge of organisational policy making and priority setting.
Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) are essential in bridging this gap and building a work community in which the rich traditions and expertise within adult education are able to benefit adult learners and tutors. Additionally the isolated nature of the work reinforces the value of professional networks and other opportunities to collaborate and share ideas and practices.
So what is the problem? My feeling is that whilst the drive to professionalise the FE workforce has given welcome recognition to the value and importance of the work and the need for consistently high standards, adult education has been swept up in a system designed for FE colleges that had in turn been modelled on school teaching. It is too rigid and top-down to address the needs, experience and ethos of adult education.
So what should we look for?
- I would start by reaffirming the importance of effective ITT and CPD within adult education. We don’t want a collapse into a completely de-regulated adult community learning sector where everyone does their own thing. This would abandon the possibility of a large and vibrant community of adult educators that shared and developed professional practice.
- We need to design an ITT and CPD system that builds upon research into the needs and experiences of adult tutors and is provided in ways that are appropriate to their work commitments and career intentions.
- I think we must accept that any professional organisation needs to be built from the bottom up and be based on collaboration, reciprocity and voluntary membership; something that is ‘owned’ by its members and articulates their interests. The compulsory nature of IfL membership underlies much of the hostility to it amongst many adult tutors.
- Quite rightly, the main responsibility must lie with those that employ adult tutors to be real ‘learning organisations’. This means encouraging a learning culture and facilitating its growth as well as ensuring teaching staff take part and recording their participation. As organisations that specialise in adult learning, providers are well placed to promote teaching and learning methods – such as active and discussion-based learning – that are most appropriate both to their learners and for their educational missions.
- Finally the provision of CDP needs to achieve a balance between organisational priorities on the one hand and facilitating tutors in identifying and meeting their own CDP needs on the other. It is right that CPD should promote the priorities and requirements of the providing organisation but it is also right that it should be used to encourage teaching staff to think about their own development and be supported in pursuing it.
By the way, whilst I am employed by the WEA, these views are my own. Hopefully others will join in with their thoughts.
Pete Caldwell 