WEA Education Blog

Learners - who called us that?

Over the last 10-15 years the term student has gradually been replaced with 'learners' -not happened in schools or universities and this has led some adult 'learners' to ask 'why?'.

Historically the WEA has used the term students. However, 'learners' is pretty solidly what government, inspectors and funders call the recipients of provision in the Learning Age. But what do adults on courses call themselves when they talk to friends, family or colleagues about their course? I find it hard to believe they say 'I'm a learner'.

Some WEA learners have clearly given this some thought. Here is a poem they wrote on the matter:

Most of the time we’re a jolly, hard-working crowd and happy to do our bit for the WEA.  But there’s one thing that gets our goat it’s being labelled “learners” – especially by people who tick boxes and deliver targets.  And of course there’s the paperwork too. That goes without saying.  We try hard not to complain but …

Ever the optimists, rather than moaning and groaning we penned this little ditty (with apologies for the rhyming couplets) dedicated it to WEA students and tutors around the world, had a little chuckle and moved swiftly on …

Ten eager learners

Ten eager learners

All feeling fine

The tutor brought the forms in

Then there were nine

 

Nine eager learners

Waiting for their fate

“Please complete in triplicate”

Then there were eight

 

Eight eager learners

Yes, learning can be heaven

But someone runs a cheaper course

Then there were seven

 

Seven eager learners

One is feeling sick

Performance targets to be met

Then there were six

 

Six eager learners

No-one wants to skive

But up went the course fees

Then there were five

 

Five eager learners

A knock at the door …

In comes Ofsted

Then there were four

 

Four eager learners

Bless the LSC (not!)

One dug her heels in

Then there were three

 

Three eager learners

One named Sue

She couldn’t get to class that day

Then there were two

 

Two eager learners

Raring for some fun

More forms landed

And then there was one

 

One eager learner

Sitting all alone

Why not call us people?

I might as well go home

 

 

Common Inspection Framework for FE & Skills published

Ofsted has published the revised common inspection framework for 16+ learners. You can download it (16 sides) here.

No surprises but it is worth noting that Adult Community Learning (ACL), which briefly became Personal & Community Development Learning (PCDL) now seems to be down as 'informal adult learning'. This makes the implementation of the proposals in the 'Learning Revolution' White Paper particularly important to Adult Education providers like the WEA.

'Control Shift' Conservatives policy on local government

LSIS has provided a useful summary of the Conservatives policy document on local government 'Control shift'. The summary can be downloaded here and the paper itself is available here.

It has a radical underlying theme and one which, if implemented, would have an impact in many areas. Adult Education may not be the first you'd think of but the concept of a 'general power of competence' going to local authorities. This could have a number of effects beneficial or otherwise. If nothing else, it suggests the Tories will fight the election claiming to massively devolve power and reduce process targets and agencies that supervise them.

Peer Review Development Group lessons for self regulation

I attended the review session of a Peer Review and Development Group formed by three local authority adult education services: 

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire and the WEA’s Southern Region. The group, which has met for well over a year, reported on the developments they had shared around self assessment, observation of teaching & learning and RARPA (Recognising & Recording Progress and Achievement on non-accredited learning).

It has been a very successful piece of work – which covered the period where all four had been inspected by Ofsted. It reinforced the value of honest self assessment and effective observation in driving improvement and there was a genuine and significant effort to respond to comments from Ofsted in each provider’s inspection about RARPA. Alongside that, it was an excellent piece of reflective continuing professional development by the colleagues involved.

However, for me, it also raised questions on the whole direction of self-regulation and the extent to which providers, working honestly to improve, need to be ready to challenge demands made by regulators and inspectors.

The RARPA situation is a particular case that I have written about before. The LSC's original statement on RARPA says that it intends to 'put the experience, aspirations and success of learners at the heart of what we do’. In reality we know that decisions by the Information Authority at the request of Ofsted have made the learner central only in the way a fish is central to the activities of an industrial fishing fleet. If the reductionism of regulators' view of RARPA continues, how can anyone be sure the approach is valued by tutors or learners? Whilst the last couple of years has at last shown we are at the limits of managerialism, ‘outstanding’ practice in RARPA seems now to require more extensive moderation than some GCSEs with none of the 'currency' provided by the qualification. The confirmation that Ofsted will not inspect provision that has no public funding suggests that this is either about driving non-accredited learning out of the hands of people on modest incomes or about finding ways to get through tick-box AKA ‘light touch’ inspections.

The implementation of the Learning Revolution gives us the opportunity to challenge the sorry slide in the direction of RARPA and refocus attention on devising great teaching and learning experiences for adults that they recognise as being of value.

 

 

Celebrating the Oakfield animators in Liverpool

I was lucky to be invited to attend the premiere of a short animated film at the FACT centre in Liverpool on Friday. The film, made in a WEA project involving a partnership with the care provider, United Response and Mersey Rail, was screened in the cinema in front of an audience of friends, family, workers and the film makers themselves – from the Oakfields Day Centre in Anfield. The film makers received a red carpet reception and the audience enjoyed both the current film – 'From Oakfiends to Ironmen’ see it here along with fascinating short documentaries on how the film, and an earlier one, had been made - see here.

For me, it was the combination of enjoying the film on a big screen with an enthusiastic audience plus the insight into the process that the ‘behind the scenes’ films gave that made this such a celebration of success.

The group are now moving onto a project working with bus staff to look at how access to bus services for adults with learning difficulties can be improved. Another animation is planned.

 Now, back to thinking how to comply with regulators’ requirements that individual achievement data is neatly recorded in non-accredited learning!

WEA on Trafalgar Square fourth plinth

It’s a couple of weeks ago now but I want to congratulate Chris Sharman for getting onto the fourth ‘plinth’ on the first day. Chris is a great advocate of the WEA and really took the initiative in a way which got the WEA into the national newspapers. So, this year, we can say that WEA art has been exhibited in the highest profile way. Apart from that, I love her comment that ‘adult learning make your brain tingle’.