| Conclusion |
| 1. The
Working Group believes that Government policies for
lifelong learning and social inclusion and the growing
consensus on the need to promote active citizenship, call
for and require a major contribution from community
education, as conceived by the Group. This will require a
widespread understanding of the changes the Group is
proposing, and a committed effort from those responsible
to develop it, deploying resources appropriately and
making best use of partnerships. While radical, the
proposals are realistic for there is much already in
existence on which to build. |
| 2. The
Group's recommendations focus on community education but
necessarily go beyond it. In some contexts, community
education will only contribute effectively to the
development of community learning if the wider context is
supportive. The recommendations are geared to achieving
objectives which derive from Government policy and, in
particular, are intended to link with policies for
lifelong learning and social inclusion and to promote
active citizenship. They assume that a main overall
purpose, of community education and much Government
policy, is to bring services and opportunities together
to maximise their accessibility and responsiveness to
communities. |
| 3. The
promotion of the Group's concept of community education
should encourage the key fields of interest, at national
and local authority and voluntary organisation levels, to
take on the practical implications and the developmental
steps required. It will be essential to convey the
message that community education is not a
"territorial" concept but a pervasive approach
to education. The timing and approach to promotion will
require careful consideration in order to ensure that it
does not run ahead of the field's ability to deliver. Too
much promotion too early will lead to disillusion. |
| 4. Significant
reductions in core funding have weakened the essential
infrastructure of many providers and limited their
capacity to deliver community education as presently
defined. The Group has taken a new view of community
education and a wider range of contribution, but this
does not alter the need to establish appropriate and
sufficient funding. Achieving continuity and adequate
levels of funding now demand a high priority in order to
achieve the vision set out by the Group. |
| 5. The
Group has maintained links with the CoSLA Task Group on
Community Education and believes that there is extensive
common ground between its interim report and the key
themes developed here. The Group believes that both
documents merit close scrutiny by interested parties and
that continuing co-operation between the Scottish Office
and CoSLA will help to create a sound basis for
development. |
| 6. A much
clearer view of shared priorities for community education
is required than has previously been available, and this
has to be followed through with targets for community
education's contribution to key policy areas. An
inter-disciplinary contribution will be needed to the
generation of targets and national guidance on setting
local targets for learning plans. This may reduce the
scope for local variation but that will be a small price
to pay for the benefit to priority communities, groups
and individuals. |
| 7.
National organisations must work together to create an
environment in which strategic development at local
levels can grow and be sustainable. Locally, it should
include the democratic participation of learners. At all
levels there must be continuing co-operation, good
information and a shared commitment to put the learner
first. |
