Where are the lost learners? You tell us!
04/04/2008
Over the past two years there has been a fall of nearly one and a half million adult learners on publicly funded courses, so the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) has launched a nationwide search to find out what has happened to them.
They are asking Mature Times' readers to share their experiences of adult learning, why they may have given up, and whether they have taken up another form of study.
Alan Tuckett, Director of NIACE, told the Mature Times: "Our own research tells us that half of the older learners taking publicly funded courses have disappeared in the last two years - but overall older learners' participation hasn't dropped so severely. So what's the gap? We want to find out what people do when classes close down to highlight the resourcefulness of today's older learners and also the social cost where opportunities disappear altogether."
NIACE is exploring how the cuts in publicly funded adult learning have impacted on individual learners and is interested in finding out the following information from learners, tutors and providers:
• How have you been affected by the fall in the number and range of courses available to adults?
• What courses have disappeared?
• Did you simply give up learning?
• Have you started a course outside of college or adult education centre?
• Are you learning in a more informal way, perhaps online or do you study with a group of friends?
Alan Tuckett added: "Keeping mind and body active in later life not only keeps life interesting, it's also good for your health. It prolongs active life and means we can make a meaningful contribution to society for a longer period. There's no better investment a society can make, whether that investment is personal or public."
Anyone interested in sharing their experiences should contact NIACE at: lostcourses@niace.org.uk or write to: Lost Classes, NIACE, Renaissance House, 20 Princess Road West, Leicester LE1 6TP, or visit the website linked below.