Outline: Workshop G

The 2nd Chance

Outline

The recognition of the need for ‘2nd Chance’ learning has usually come about in response to economic transformation, for example the need to retrain workers to adapt to new labour market needs, the need to adjust to social change. The current ‘period of transition and profound change’ (EU 1996) and the development of the ‘knowledge society’, is demanding rapidly increasing skill levels and focussing the attention of all EU and pre-accession countries on the need to upgrade the education and skill of all its citizens. Hence a major focus in the current and new Socrates priorities is to raise the levels of education amongst the most disadvantaged in our societies, who lack the education to play an effective and engaged role, and risk increasing exclusion.

Research by the OECD into levels of literacy, defined as ‘the ability to understand and employ printed information in daily activities’, concludes: "the key finding is that there are significant literacy skills gaps in each country. At least 1 in 4 of the adult population of the countries surveyed fails to reach the 3rd of the 5 literacy scales. Level 3 is regarded by many experts as the minimum level of competence needed to cope adequately with the complex demands of everyday life and work’. Research in several European countries confirms these findings, although other countries are slow to recognise the issue ( Lamage 1993), while many studies have gone further in correlating educational disadvantage with poverty and social deprivation . Hence, both in terms of social justice and of economic exigence, the focus on ‘second chance’ learning for this sector of our populations must be placed high on the agenda.

Yet what are the participation rates in adult learning for adults with basic skills requirements or with lower socio-economic status? Research carried out into participation in the UK and elsewhere, indicates a ‘learning divide’ between those ‘already well qualified and who continue to be learners throughout life.... (and).. those who either leave education largely unqualified or who neither engage in learning as adults, nor intend to do so in the future.’ (Fryer 97) The key indicators found to predict participation in adult learning in the UK are:

• socio economic status - 9 in 10 of those in non manual occupations had taken part in learning as opposed to 50% of those from unskilled, manual jobs
• school leaving qualification - non-learners were over twice as likely as learners to have left without qualifications
• employment status - starting a new job, activity status (DfEE 97)

The OECD report concludes by quoting Johnstone and Rivera (1965): "One of the most persistent findings emerging from the inquiry is that a great disparity exists in the involvement in continuing education of segments of the population situated at different levels of the social hierarchy.

Hence, if lifelong learning is to be the right of all citizens, the focus must rest on finding innovative, relevant, culturally sympathetic and attractive initiatives to provide a 2nd Chance to Learn for adults who are most in need, and least likely to participate in, lifelong learning. The Socrates Programme rightly promotes the development of such initiatives to develop a diversity of innovative options, attractive to different groups in society. How then may this be achieved? More of the same, a remedial approach, or programmes helping learners to conform to existing provision, are no longer acceptable. 2nd Chance learning must respond to the cultural basis of learning; it must go out into communities and reflect the contexts and lives of all its learners; it must provide a diversity of creative and localised responses if it is to include everyone in our ‘knowledge society’.

There are many examples of effective programmes which may serve as models of good practice. The first ‘2nd Chance to Learn’ programmes in the UK sought to attract non traditional learners by building radical programmes around the cultural, educational, social and economic circumstances of their target groups. This model, running in Edinburgh since 1985 has now been adapted by the Finnish Settlement movement into their ‘New Chance’ programme, and has led to the ARKS Socrates project which is producing relevant learning materials for non traditional learners. Subsequently, ingenious ways of attracting hesitant learners have included adult learning buses, courses based around football and pub programmes to attract unemployed men, courses to help women back into employment and adult learners week initiatives. A wide range of initiatives have taken place across Europe in those countries recognising the need to attract and cater for all types of learners and this workshop is an opportunity to share and celebrate that wealth of learning opportunity.

If lifelong learning is to be fully inclusive what are the key features which will ensure maximum participation? A few questions we can ask ourselves:

As a focus for this workshop I should like us to investigate, learn from and celebrate the diversity of innovative approaches to 2nd Chance learning. I hope we may use my questions above as a starting point in our investigation of the range of opportunities presented at the workshop and learn from each other how we may promote a genuine ‘2nd Chance to Learn’ for all learners.

Literature

EU, 1996, Teaching and Learning, Towards the Learning Society.
OECD, 1995/7, Literacy, Economy and Society, and Literacy Skills for the Knowledge Society
Fryer, 1997, DfEE, UK Learning for the Twenty-First Century,
Lamage, L, Adult Literacy and Basic Education in Europe and North America in Edwards, R., Sieminski, S. Zeldin, D. 1993, Open University, Adult Learners, Education and Training