The recent UK election was a predictably grim affair of inflated promises and minimal accountability for achieving them, but what was noticeable was the attention candidates were giving not only to education in the school and university sense, but across our entire life.
Labour wanted to create a ‘National Education Service’ to provide cradle to grave support, while the Liberal Democrats pledged to create a learning fund of around £3,000 that people can tap into three times during their working lives to help them learn new skills or retrain for a new career.
Encouraging adults to engage in training and education is far from easy however, and I’ve written previously about the challenges involved, especially in terms of lower-skilled individuals who weren’t engaged with education the first time round. For such people, the barriers are less about money than they are a sense that education isn’t for them.
A new report from UNESCO explores the state of adult learning around the world, and attempts to shed some light on key areas society needs to work on to ensure that the changes of the 4th industrial revolution are beneficial to all.
“Troublingly, in many countries, disadvantaged groups – adults with disabilities, older adults, refugees and migrants, and minority groups – participate less in adult learning and education,” the authors say. “In some countries, provision for these groups is regressing.”
Encouraging lifelong learning
The report reveals a number of key findings, not least of which is that participation in lifelong learning is weak throughout the world. Indeed, 25% of the 96 countries reported participation rates of between 5 and 10%, with a further 29% reporting participation rates lower than that. While many revealed that participation rates are growing, these rates were lowest among disadvantaged groups, including those on low-incomes, people with disabilities or simply those living in rural areas.
These inequalities are often in place due to a lack of data to effectively tackle them. The report urges authorities to try and gain a much better understanding of who is and is not participating in adult education. This was not the case in 33% of the 152 countries who reported for the paper, with the rate especially poor against the disadvantaged groups highlighted above.
The report goes on to reveal that while progress is being made in many countries around the world, this progress is often limited by the amount of money made available, especially to support those disadvantaged groups. Indeed, less than a third of countries revealed an increase in spending on adult education since 2015, with a comparable number actually reducing expenditure.
Unequal distribution
It’s perhaps not surprising, therefore, that the distribution of adult education is so skewed. The report confirms the distribution of students on MOOCs since they came to prominence a few years ago, with the majority of learners people already in possession of a degree.
“Deep and persistent inequalities still exist in ALE participation and key target groups are not being reached,” UNESCO say. “Member States should focus their resources on addressing these inequalities.”
In addition to those with low-skills, the report also rightly highlights the challenges faced by refugees and migrants who lack the right level of access to language courses and the ability to get their existing skills and competencies recognized and validated, all of which hinders their ability to successfully integrate into the local labor market.
A way forward
The authors accept that overcoming these hurdles is no small feat, but they nonetheless provide a number of steps governments can take to widen access and help people who are currently disenfranchised from adult education.
These interventions include substantially improving the data they have on adult learners, and those who could benefit from adult education, especially among disadvantaged groups. They also advocate more work to stimulate interest in education via the celebration of success stories in a variety of ways, with focused investment then helping to convert this interest into meaningful action. This investment doesn’t have to solely revolve around direct financial support, but can also include things such as paid leave for education, childcare support and career development assistance.
“Addressing these inequities requires better data, increased investment and a better understanding of what works, supported by international, regional and national efforts to raise awareness, with a focus on excluded groups and those that are least likely to engage in learning, and on national and regional variations,” the authors conclude.
The mood music from the UK election suggests that this is a challenge that governments are increasingly aware of, but it remains to be seen whether they appreciate that it’s not a problem that can be solved purely by throwing money at people and expecting them to invest it in education. The reality is much more nuanced than that, and the psychological barriers that prevent many from investing in education need to be overcome, whilst tangible career progression after their training also needs to be provided.
The developed world has a very patchy record in supporting those whose livelihoods have been disrupted through technological or economic means. The report reminds us of the challenges we still face if education is to be part of the answer to that problem. Time will tell if it’s a message policy makers take on board.
