Conference 2011
Over 200 people participated in the first national conference on Community Education, 'Making a living - Making a life': the role of community education for skills development and social inclusion, on Thursday 17th November. The conference had active participation, sharing experiences, cultivating ideas and dialogue at its heart though inputs, discussion sessions and exhibitions. By drawing on national and international speakers we endeavoured to create a reflective space in which practitioners and learners, who are the true experts of community education in practice, developed strategies for addressing the issues facing the sector.
The World Café session resulted in the following recommendations for SOLAS:
1. A distinct funding stream for community education.
2. A learner-centred further education system that focuses on progression facilitated through effective guidance supports.
3. Recognition of community education as possessing specific expertise which is an essential part of the further education service: e.g. hard to reach learners, effective learner-centred methodology, responsive provision, education for social cohesion and change.
4. Non-accredited learning is a vital and important part of the education process and community education is ideally placed to support learners onto the National Framework of Qualifications, if they so wish.
Community Education Organisations:
1. Embed education for social change into their provision through participation in continuous professional development activities.
2. Engage in advocacy for community education with other organisations influencing the SOLAS consultation process: e.g. unions.
3. Develop and use tools for measuring outcomes to support evidenced-based lobbying work at local and national (through AONTAS) level.
