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Class, educational and employment experience and gender
still influence take-up of courses, and the gap between the
well and poorly educated may be widening, says a survey published
by NIACE, the national organisation for adult learning.
The study, commissioned from Research Surveys of Great Britain
with Ulster Marketing Surveys, shows little change since 1996
and "confirms that the UK still faces an enormous task in
involving all its people in the learning society".
Class strongly influences attitudes to learning. Two out of
five adults are currently in education or have followed a
course within the past three years. But 59% of them are from
upper and middle socio-economic groups while only 25% are
from the working class. Participation by white collar workers
and skilled working-class people has remained steady since
1990, at 32% and 17% respectively. People who go into further
or higher education are more likely to return to learning
later. Of those who left school at 16, only a quarter are
current or recent learners, compared with half of those who
stayed on after 16 and three-fifths of those who continued
after 20.
The workplace provides the motive, resources and opportunities
for many people to continue learning and gain qualifications.
Work-related courses dominate the list of subjects, with computer
studies the most popular at 25%. Nursing and health studies
have increased to 10% but business management has declined
to 10%
The groups most likely to miss out on learning were ethnic
minority and part-time employees.
Although almost as many women as men have been involved in
current and recent learning, women are reporting more difficulties
in finishing courses. More women than men have to pay their
own fees (35% compared with 26%) while more men have their
fees paid by their employer (19% compared with 13%). Full-time
workers are twice as likely as part-time workers to have their
learning fully or partly supported by their employer. 37%
of women with children under four cited care of children as
a barrier to learning and more women than men reported difficulties
with travel costs.
More than half of adults say they are not likely to take
up courses in the future - an increase of 4% since 1996.
As reported in the TES, 1 September 2000
For more information contact NIACE on 0116 204 4216 or
visit www.niace.org.uk
Sargeant, N. (2000).
A report of the findings of a UK-wide survey on adult participation
in education and learning. Leicester: National
Institute for Adult Continuing Education (NIACE)
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