Informal Adult Learning – Shaping the Way Ahead
A Consultation for DIUS – the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
DIUS has a stated aim to ensure that the country has ‘the best possible arrangements for securing vibrant and fulfilling informal adult learning for the 21st century’ and has launched a consultation paper designed to stimulate debate and shape future Government policy.
It acknowledges that it has to prioritise adult education resources for those who require skills and qualifications for work, and for those who have not previously had the opportunity to enjoy a good level of education. However DIUS also wishes to engage in a debate about the future of informal adult learning.
The consultation document reminds us that learning can make a profound difference to adult lives in many ways:
- through the formal development of skills that enable people to get better jobs;
- through learning that helps develop families, communities and community cohesion
- by meeting the basic human need for creativity and stimulation.
The consultation is primarily but not exclusively about the last of these –structured and unstructured adult learning for enjoyment, personal fulfilment and intellectual, creative and physical stimulation. We need to recognise therefore that the DIUS definition does not cover informal learning applied to work based learning.
However many of the underlying issues will be of interest to BILD members and the Institute wishes to present a view to DIUS on behalf of the profession. We would encourage you to read the consultation paper by clicking here.
You will find that the detailed consultation points are structured within five broad headings:
- Understanding and improving current provision
- The government contribution
- DIUS funded informal adult education
- Equality of access
- Broadcasting and technology.
We would also encourage you to submit your view on one or any of the consultation points to the BILD so that we can present a view which is representative of the membership. This will also help those of you who may only wish to comment on one particular aspect; this way your view will be represented as part of a comprehensive response and therefore more likely to be noticed. You may of course wish to reply directly to DIUS on behalf of your own organisation
In order for BILD to compile members’ contributions to this consultation we would ask that all responses are sent to BILD by 8 May at the latest and prior to the DIUS end date of 15 May.
Please submit your response by email to Brian Merison: brian@british-learning.com