Adult learning has benefited from the visibility and profile of lifelong learning across a range of European policy areas. The overall profile of adult learning benefited enormously from the European Commission's decision to group all its education and training programmes together under the brand of the "Lifelong Learning Programme." The…

To maximise people's chances to reach their potential and so build a more cohesive and just society, one must acknowledge that learning is not only for the young; one must know that it's a lifelong activity. And one must also value and support the role that informal learning plays in transferring skills and knowledge. The author launched a review…

NIACE's 2010 representative sample survey of adult participation in learning in the UK shows something of a sea change in adults' engagement in learning. After years in which the numbers reporting participation in learning fell overall, and the gulf between the learning rich and the learning poor widened dramatically, there has been a major…

Over the past year lifelong learning in universities has come under the spotlight of politicians, educationalists, journalists and adult learners. For some, the concern has been about countering the fall-out from changes in public funding and challenging the reduction in provision--and even closure--of university departments. A number of…

The author reports on the closure of university public programmes across England as a direct result of ministers' decision to withdraw funding from students studying for a qualification at a level equivalent to or lower than one they already possess. It signifies the end of lifelong learning as an object of mainstream government policy. The…

It is increasingly difficult to be a citizen, a family member or a worker, to be young or to be old, without the acquisition of new skills. And these are not simple skills; they are complex, creative, thought-provoking and challenging skills. Many more people are capable of acquiring and using these skills than have the opportunity to do so.…

The fortunes of publicly funded adult learning have fluctuated widely over the years, and the current downturn in organised learning provision is well known to readers of "Adults Learning". Lifelong learning in higher education has borne its share of policy and funding crises, but from the beginning of the 1980s it has been subject to a…

As a mental health project officer, the author's work is underpinned by a belief that people who have mental health problems are as intelligent, talented and creative as anyone else, and deserve opportunities to reach their full potential. She actively seeks to persuade partner agencies across different sectors that the further education system is…

The case for Lifelong Learning Networks (LLNs) was made by Sir Howard Newby, then Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), in the Colin Bell Memorial Lecture in March 2004. Their purpose was to widen participation by combining the strengths of diverse higher education institutions (HEIs) and further education…

The new empowerment White Paper, "Communities in Control: Real people, Real Power," was published in July. This article sets the White Paper in the context of the Government's rapidly developing empowerment agenda for England, reviews its key themes, and examines the views of its critics. In particular, the author examines critically…

The infamous equivalent or lower qualifications (ELQs) regulation--the withdrawal of funding from students who have previously gained a higher education qualification--has cast a long shadow over adult continuing education in English higher education since its introduction in 2007. Together with the attack on funded adult provision in local…

Foresight reports are meant to help "decision-makers" understand the possible future effects of their decisions. "Visions of the future", based on "robust science", should be used by policymakers "to inform government policy and strategy, and to improve how science and technology are used within government and by society". They are also intended…

"Learning Through Life," the main report from the Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning, is the culmination of a two-year process of consultation, analysis and reflection. The report sets out bold proposals which go well beyond the boundaries of adult education and training. Several key weaknesses in the current system were…

The purpose of writing a charter is to show adult learners that the people providing learning for them are willing to sign up publicly to a statement of their entitlement to the very best quality of information, guidance, teaching and support--and not only to sign up to it, but to be ready to be called to account if they do not live up to the…

Deciding to enroll in a creative writing class, a quick web-search by this author revealed that there were classes in the local adult education college, run by an independent writing school. The author met one of the tutors, discussed his needs, and found himself enrolled in a short- story writing class. As it happened, so smitten was he that he…