All over, red rover? The neglect and potential of Australian adult education in the community.
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| Title: | All over, red rover? The neglect and potential of Australian adult education in the community. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Golding, Barry1 b.golding@ballarat.edu.au, Foley, Annette1 a.foley@ballarat.edu.au |
| Source: | Australian Journal of Adult Learning. 2011 Special Edition, Vol. 51, p53-71. 19p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Adult education, *Adult literacy programs, *Community life, *Adult learning, *Community development |
| Geographic Terms: | Australia |
| Abstract: | Consistent with the 'looking back, moving forward' conference theme, in this paper we undertake a critical, research-based appraisal of the current, arguably neglected state of adult education in Australia in 2010, and proceed to paint a picture of how a different and potentially more positive future might be realised. Firstly, we emphasise situations (including states and territories) in Australia in which adult education is seen to be lacking or missing for particular groups of adults. Secondly we emphasise research evidence confirming the demonstrable value of learning for purposes other than those that are immediately vocational. We identify links between lifelong and lifewide learning on one hand, and health and wellbeing on the other. Part of the paper involves international comparisons with other forms of adult learning that Australia might learn from, adapt or borrow. We make particular reference to research underpinning the recent Inquiry into the Future of Lifelong Learning by NIACE in the United Kingdom. Our first main conclusion has to do with equity. Adult and community education (ACE) in Australia is currently seen to be least available or accessible to those Australians with the most limited and most negative experiences of school education, but the most need to learn in non-vocational domains. These groups include older Australians, some men and women, people not in paid work, and rural, isolated and Indigenous people. Our second main conclusion is that, to realise adult learning's future potential, we need changes to government policies, research and practice that acknowledge and actively support the broader nature and value of learning for life across all age groups. To paraphrase research from Belgium by Sfard (2008), based around Beck's (1986) exploration of reflexive modernity, the adult education function of ACE is in dire straits, unless education is seen as being much more valuable than the sum of individual vocational competencies, and particularly unless it is also recognised, valued and supported as one of many valuable outcomes of social, lifelong and lifewide learning throughout the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Australian Journal of Adult Learning is the property of Copyright Agency Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 114972117 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: All over, red rover? The neglect and potential of Australian adult education in the community. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Golding%2C+Barry%22">Golding, Barry</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> b.golding@ballarat.edu.au</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Foley%2C+Annette%22">Foley, Annette</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> a.foley@ballarat.edu.au</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Australian+Journal+of+Adult+Learning%22">Australian Journal of Adult Learning</searchLink>. 2011 Special Edition, Vol. 51, p53-71. 19p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adult+education%22">Adult education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adult+literacy+programs%22">Adult literacy programs</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Community+life%22">Community life</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adult+learning%22">Adult learning</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Community+development%22">Community development</searchLink> – Name: SubjectGeographic Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Australia%22">Australia</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Consistent with the 'looking back, moving forward' conference theme, in this paper we undertake a critical, research-based appraisal of the current, arguably neglected state of adult education in Australia in 2010, and proceed to paint a picture of how a different and potentially more positive future might be realised. Firstly, we emphasise situations (including states and territories) in Australia in which adult education is seen to be lacking or missing for particular groups of adults. Secondly we emphasise research evidence confirming the demonstrable value of learning for purposes other than those that are immediately vocational. We identify links between lifelong and lifewide learning on one hand, and health and wellbeing on the other. Part of the paper involves international comparisons with other forms of adult learning that Australia might learn from, adapt or borrow. We make particular reference to research underpinning the recent Inquiry into the Future of Lifelong Learning by NIACE in the United Kingdom. Our first main conclusion has to do with equity. Adult and community education (ACE) in Australia is currently seen to be least available or accessible to those Australians with the most limited and most negative experiences of school education, but the most need to learn in non-vocational domains. These groups include older Australians, some men and women, people not in paid work, and rural, isolated and Indigenous people. Our second main conclusion is that, to realise adult learning's future potential, we need changes to government policies, research and practice that acknowledge and actively support the broader nature and value of learning for life across all age groups. To paraphrase research from Belgium by Sfard (2008), based around Beck's (1986) exploration of reflexive modernity, the adult education function of ACE is in dire straits, unless education is seen as being much more valuable than the sum of individual vocational competencies, and particularly unless it is also recognised, valued and supported as one of many valuable outcomes of social, lifelong and lifewide learning throughout the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Australian Journal of Adult Learning is the property of Copyright Agency Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 19 StartPage: 53 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Adult education Type: general – SubjectFull: Adult literacy programs Type: general – SubjectFull: Community life Type: general – SubjectFull: Adult learning Type: general – SubjectFull: Community development Type: general – SubjectFull: Australia Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: All over, red rover? The neglect and potential of Australian adult education in the community. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Golding, Barry – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Foley, Annette IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 02 M: 12 Text: 2011 Special Edition Type: published Y: 2011 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 14431394 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 51 Titles: – TitleFull: Australian Journal of Adult Learning Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
