Popularly known as "the biggest housing estate in Europe", Ely is the most deprived area of Cardiff and one of the most disadvantaged parts of the UK. It has, by the admission of its own residents, a bad reputation as an area associated with poverty, gangs, street crime and burnt-out cars. That is only one part of the story. Those who…

Death is often a time of reappraisal for those left behind: of gifts a person may have given, and of lessons that might be learned from their struggles. A number of distinguished adult educators, whose lives were shaped by twentieth-century wars and fragilities, have recently died. They include Roy Shaw, one-time Director of Adult Education at the…

Few artists are as closely associated with a single educational institution as Maggi Hambling--still fewer with an institution that specialises in the education of adults. Her relationship with Morley College began more than 40 years ago, but soon blossomed into enduring mutual affection. She was a substitute for a substitute on a Monday afternoon…

Derek Legge, who celebrated his 95th birthday at the end of last month, is one of the most dedicated and influential of the largely unsung heroes of the adult education movement in Britain. As modesty is one of the many qualities with which his friends and colleagues credit him, he is certain to shrink from the description, but there is little…

This author retired this summer after 23 years leading one of the country's most creative and enterprising adult learning services. She departs convinced that adult and community learning needs not only tenacity, passion, and imagination but also professional management and support if it is to thrive.

Adult educators from across the world met at the eighth World Assembly of the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE) in Malmo in June. A significant question at the World Assembly was, "What kind of lifelong learning is needed in a climate-changing world?" Discussions addressing this strand immediately revealed that responses depend on…

For many people, the story about a couple who divorced after "virtual affairs" in Second Life may have been their first introduction to virtual worlds. And that's unfortunate, because Serious Virtual Worlds--interactive environments, usually made up of 3D graphics, which can be explored by many users at the same time--have the potential to help…

It has been no easy feat getting an organisation the size of City Lit--with 30,000 students, 4,000 courses, and nearly 1,000 teachers--to achieve an overall Grade 1 at inspection. Throw into that mix the funding upheaval and the need to demonstrate repeatedly to new ministers the value of what the college does, and one will get some idea of the…

Certainly, there are people who can't wait to leave work, and people with grand plans for retirement. There are also people who have worked a long time in a stressful environment or doing heavy manual work, or who live in a poor community, and whose life expectancy is much shorter. But most people in their 50s say that they would like to work…

Everyone is talking about civil society. Perhaps it's the election, and the shock of seeing more voters at the polling booths than anyone had expected. Now David Cameron's idea of a "big society" is being translated into some early policy measures. Does today's debate have anything to do with adult learning? The author believes that the…

During a recent episode of Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Kirsty Young's guest--one of Britain's most influential women--explained how a further education teacher had changed her life. Heather Rabbatts, who was born in Jamaica and moved to England, found school difficult. She was "picked on for being mixed-race," failed her 11-plus and…

To function as adult educators in the present climate, providers must be able to demonstrate that provision is focused in such a way that it supports overall targets established by funders. It is also increasingly important to demonstrate that provision addresses issues in specific geographical areas. There are two activities where it is…

In this article, the author discusses the emergence of unions and social movements which provide opportunities for adult educators in forwarding their adult literacy campaigns. The author describes the recent World Social Forum (WSF), held at the end of January in Porto Alegre, that provides ample opportunities for adult educators to make…

The adult learning community has a unique opportunity to engage with the big issues of the times during the coming year. The Learning and Skills Council is due to launch its Strategy for Sustainable Development in 2005 and a series of initiatives and publications is set to follow, including the European Year of Democratic Citizenship, launched…