South Bank University in London offers a summer mathematics course that gives mature students with few formal qualifications the opportunity to gain math skills for further education. The program features small groups, tutors experienced in adult education, and attention to confidence building. (SK)

The experiences of three 18th-century working class writers illustrate how elements of pure chance contributed to their success or lack of advancement. Their stories raise questions about the motives behind and the issues raised by today's policy initiatives to address poverty. (SK)

Research shows that unemployed working class men are least likely to participate in education and training. Recruitment strategies should address their need to work, encourage collective action, and offer learning opportunities in familiar environments. (SK)

Raymond Williams, a British adult educator, believed that community must be at the heart of education and that education must involve the primary organizations of the working class, such as trade unions, to be effective. (SK)

Low-literate working class British men may perceive education as something forced on them in childhood but not soemthing for adults. Long-term economic decline and changes in the concept of masculinity have contributed to their inability to see any benefit from participating in education. (SK)

Recent protests and vigilante actions in Britain related to pedophiles raise issues for adult educators. Educators must be prepared to struggle along with learners in the creation of knowledge based on reason and emotion and shaped by ethical and political considerations. (SK)

Examines the influences of class, race, and gender on working-class males' participation in education. Considers the effect of the female-dominated profession of literacy teaching and the challenges of recruitment and retention. (SK)

Interviews about educational experiences and needs with 36 British working-class fathers were used to develop family "taster" courses in bricklaying, woodworking, and computers, offered at times and locations that enabled joint activities with children. Course participants welcomed the opportunity to share existing skills and develop new…

A study of young white British men beyond school-leaving age found that many are confused, distrusting, and aggressive; are involved with drugs or crime; are resistant to the "deficiency" model of basic skills training; lack a life framework and real work skills; and come from family backgrounds with long-term negative attitudes about…

Working with groups to develop oral history and local studies projects involves an equal partnership, as well as the recognition of the importance of the tutor's role in developing effective learning opportunities. (Author/SK)

Higher education access programs have focused deliberately on broadening class, race, and gender composition of participant and have targeted traditionally underrepresented groups. To be truly fair, equal opportunities must be extended across all of the population, in particular to working class men. (SK)

The "1919 Report" on education in Britain recognized women's educational needs in light of the social, economic, and political changes following World War I. Despite the liberal and humanitarian attitudes expressed, the separate spheres of men and women and distinctions between working class and other women were maintained. (SK)

"Connect" is an approach to family literacy in Scotland that recognizes that people have different literacies used in different life domains. It values home and community literacies and challenges the deficit perspective and dominant cultural and ideological patterns. (SK)

Humberside (England) City Council and Hull University collaborated on a project to offer paid educational leave to manual and lower-grade white-collar council staff. The program was aimed at those who had derived little benefit from formal education and provided a supportive environment for working class women who made up the bulk of the…

Many older working-class women have lived a lifelong education, formally and informally, in conditions that were not conducive to learning. Employers and training providers should ensure that education and training are not oversold and expectations that cannot be met are not raised. (SK)