transforming lives through learning if ref paper 3 european agenda for adult learning: scotland...

Transforming lives through learning

IF Ref Paper 3

European Agenda for Adult Learning:

Scotland Impact Forum10th March 2015

Phil Denning, Assistant Director, Lifelong Learning Directorate


What we will cover:

• Learning Community Inspections – what’s the

data telling us

• Policy context & Practice support


Education Scotland

Very different role from former bodies - includes:

• Policy implementation, practice development, support and challenge, evaluation and scrutiny

• Strong emphasis on partnership working


Education Scotland

• Much stronger integration between development support and

analysis of scrutiny

• More coherence across national stakeholders

• Stronger support to develop, share and disseminate innovative

practice

• Regular reporting on progress to ministers

• Better highlighting of CLD practice and its impact

• Stronger emphasis on partnership working and co-production


Strategic Guidance for Community Planning Partnerships: CLD Challenges and opportunities

Self-evaluation and inspection model that looks at practice

through the prism of the guidance with its partnership focus on:

– improved life chances for people of all ages, including

young people in particular, through learning, personal

development and active citizenship

– stronger, more resilient, supportive, influential and

inclusive communities.


What do we know?

Based on 192 learning community inspections:

• Impact on adults is good or better in 80% of inspections• Impact on the community is good or better in 82% of inspections• Improvements in performance presents challenges for many

providers• Self-evaluation for improvement also presents challenges for

many• Improvements in some aspects since 2005, but further work to do

and the impact bar is already high• A persistent tendency to a deficit narrative about adult learning


Some emerging messages for adult learningBased on 192 learning community inspections:

Very effective and transformational work with adults, particularly the most vulnerable - delivered by CLD providers - signs of engagement with welfare reform

• Strong and continued focus on literacy and numeracy with new partners such as libraries and other services in place based approaches e.g. ‘Dunbar Reads’

• Emerging focus on health and well-being for adults in both learning community and culture & sports scrutiny

• Increasing use of family learning and parenting in partnership with schools to support the learning of the child and the adult

• The emergence of community media such as radio to support adult learning

• Links to community/Place regeneration organisations such as Development Trusts to support adult learning and community development

• A focus on transitions, particularly early adulthood transitions within CFE and in Colleges – this includes employability and independent living

• Links to Cultural organisations, particularly in gaelic work


Some emerging messages for adult learningHowever:

• The decline of adult education programmes run by local authorities and partial replacement by

charitable organisations/community groups/Libraries

• A need for focus from adult learning when local authorities face challenging financial times and are

focused upon containing costs – underselling impacts

• A potential to explore links to CFE’s in-built lifelong and lifewide learning design and to plan ahead – we

are seeing this in Colleges and HE, but more to do in CLD

• A need to develop and deliver practice using community media and ICT

• Further work to do on developing health, well-being & transitions and also research on the wider

benefits of adult learning in Scotland

• A need for a response to the emerging focus on children and young people’s rights - what sort of

society do we want to be?

• A need to re-think workforce preparation and development – TSF/MOOCs?


The Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013

• CLD Regulations are subordinate legislation made by the

Scottish Ministers using power under section 2 of the

Education (Scotland) Act 1980.

• Came into being on 1st September 2013


CLD Regulations 2013

• Limitations of current statutory basis for CLD;

• Expectations arising from public service reform policy;

• “CLD to be delivered as a consistent, central element of public

services in Scotland” (CLD Strategic Guidance, June 2012);

• Provide the legislative basis for setting priorities to reflect

Guidance; and

• Support the auditing of needs, strengths and opportunities with

learners and communities.


What does it mean for partners?

Key messages:

•All partners (local authorities, third sector organisations and

others) to identify how they can work together to further develop

their contribution to meeting local needs.

•The CLD Regulations do not place requirements on any of these

partners only on local authorities.

•This Guidance is intended to assist partners across all sectors to

understand the requirements placed on local authorities.


Our ambitions are that:‘Scotland becomes recognised globally as the most creative and engaged learning society. A society where people develop through life-wide learning from the multiple contexts of home, work and their social lives and lifelong learning – often described as from cradle to grave’. A society that recognises the importance of adult learning in the development of the individual, the community and the country as a whole’.

Core principles:Adult learning is lifelong beginning in the Early Years, supported by Curriculum for Excellence and covering the whole age span of post compulsory education.Adult learning is life-wide. It covers the personal, work, family and community aspects of living.Adult learning is learner-centred. The educational process builds around the interests and motives of the learner.

Adult Learning in Scotland: A Statement of Ambition (2014)


Practice Support

• Adult Achievement Awards

• Strategic Funding Partnership’s

• Innovative Practice

• Innovation and Improvement Fund (family learning/ learner

voice)

• Creative Conversations

• Work with other public bodies (Scottish Prison Service)


Questions

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