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Listening to Learners: Consultation with Learners about Adult Literacy Education in Scotland

8 Learner recommendations

Given the opportunity, the learners we talked to have many suggestions about how adult literacy and numeracy education could be extended and improved in Scotland. Although a few students felt unable to make specific recommendations, most had plenty to say once they were asked. It is perhaps typical of learners in literacy and numeracy classes that many suggested any extra money should not be spent on them but on improving schools - so that no-one need ever leave without having good literacy and numeracy.

One New Deal group felt the priority should be job creation, not skills development, because without the jobs the skills can't be used:

'Trying to improve you getting a job.'

'If they built more factories, they are always shutting something down. They shut it down and it goes away down to England but we can't go away down to England to get a job. I think the money should be created to make more jobs. That's what I think.' [Fife, Other Adult learners]

However, when encouraged to think about learning for adults, there was a wealth of recommendations including:

• More courses
• Better facilities
• Expanded resources including staffing
• Increased support services including transport and childcare
• Financial assistance with costs and fees
• Publicity and how to reach more people.

a) More courses

The main suggestion from people who are in courses was for 'more courses'. Learners want to see a greater variety of courses on offer, in local settings. Participants in the focus groups had suggestions about both the format of courses and their content.

In terms of format, there was a call for:

• More intensive courses (offered more than one day a week);
• Short and modular courses, to hold people's interest and attention;
• More follow-up, so that one course follows on another without a long gap (especially over the summer);
• Flexible courses, and drop-in centres where they can get help;
• Small groups so that learners can support each other;
• Workplace-based courses (although they had doubts about whether employers would want them);
• One group would like to see some residential short courses, a few days of intensive learning away from family demands.

Thinking about the content of courses, the main emphasis was on reading and writing, but computers were often demanded.

• There was a strong feeling that the ability to use computers is essential in the modern age, and most participants had not had the opportunity to learn about computers in school. Those that were using computers (and the few who had computers at home) said how helpful they were in writing.
• Beyond computers there were other courses suggested by only one or a few people - maths, history, geography, psychology and counselling, creative writing.
• Some of the non-participants were most interested in courses for their own personal development, not necessarily for getting a job - 'anything from art appreciation to German conversation, a DIY course, basic wiring and plumbing, joinery skills, cooking.' [Highlands, Non-participant]
• One group suggested training for community mentors, to train local people in helping others into further learning and supporting them.
• One ESOL class group would like to see more visits in the community, to get to know the community better, and a month-long work placement.
• The key is offering courses that interest people: 'You'll go to a class if it's something you're interested in, the work's interesting whereas if you are going to another class where the tutor isn't very forthcoming, the work's dull and boring, you wouldn't go back.' [Glasgow, Other Adult Learner]

b) Better facilities

Recommendations about buildings reveal the poor state of many of the places where adult education classes (of all kinds) are being held. Several groups asked for better heating -their room either is too hot and stuffy or has no heat. Others would like to see larger rooms, for others it is important to stick with small groups where they feel more at ease:

'I would say somewhere on things like this, just a wee room with so many folk in it, not a lot of folk just enough, like this, this is ideal, there's five of us and one tutor, I would say that's enough. I think small groups work better than big groups, if there's only one tutor, one tutor has got to go round ten folk, she's only got five of us, we are all working quite easy and if you need help she'll come and give you help.' [Fife, Other Adult Learner]

There was disagreement about whether there should be new, purpose-built buildings - some would like them, others see them as too costly and would rather see scarce resources put into tutors, materials and computers.

Above all, many learners said they want to take courses in buildings that feel attractive (especially from the outside, to attract people in), comfortable and with an informal feel. They don't want 'college' type buildings. They want a place that has a comfortable atmosphere - 'a place like this' for some of them in community-based provision.

'Comfortable surroundings, like the course we've done here - we have a lovely room and access to tea and coffee, just the environment was pleasant. So if you had the right building, perhaps purpose-built building, for courses to be held in that was comfortable and not too formal I think it would be an attraction for people.' [Highlands, Other Adult Learner]

Several groups said they did not feel comfortable in a college because of the younger learners. 'I think maybe if it had been in a college or a school or whatever you would probably have felt intimidated, like this is for brainy folk, I won't fit in here.' [Fife, Other Adult Learner]

They want to be with 'people like us' -- adults, other mums and so on. 'Maybe if there were more Mums, if we all did it together it would maybe make it easier ... because if I was wanting to go back [to college] I would have to go back with young people with no kids, and you're missing out a bit.' [Aberdeen, Non-participant]

Accessibility was an important concern, both in terms of disabled access and in terms of transportation routes. They want to see local buildings used as much as possible (including opening up schools on Saturdays, and using closed school buildings), and even if the sites are not local they want adult education centres to be accessible to people from outlying areas. In talking about their own choice of courses, access and bus routes was an important consideration, along with time of day.

One focus group had a good discussion about having 'Education Shops' in local shopping areas -places where people could drop in and get advice and information about educational options, and also to get learning support when they need it. More on this discussion is in section f) below.

c) Expanded resources

Learners identified a variety of resources needed to operate the kinds of literacy and numeracy education they want. Central is providing enough tutors. Several groups were in large classes, where they have difficulty getting enough individual attention. For these, volunteers are the only way that learning can be supported. They want to see more paid tutors, smaller class sizes, and classroom assistants who can provide one-to-one support when needed.

Computers were the second most important resource wanted. Learners want to be able to use computers, but most schemes do not have enough. They may share a suite of computers between several classes, who take turns. They may even have to wait in turn for the one computer that is in an administrative office. Learners want to see computers and a variety of software available. One group suggested a 'computer bank' so that learners could take a computer home for practice:

Have a computer bank so that people who can't afford to buy computers can borrow one and hand it back. [Lothian, Other Adult Learner]

One Highlands group of non-participants was excited by the potential of video-conferencing as a way for learners who are scattered in small, remote communities to link with each other and with the world.

Finally, some of the focus groups talked about the need for basic materials - books, paper, pencils. Several of the groups had books that were out of date, and they wanted to see programmes using up-to-date and relevant books and other materials.

d) Increased support services

Far and away the most discussed support service needed by participants is childcare. Most of the mothers with young children said they could only attend classes if there was a crèche. They would like a crèche that they can use not only when they are in the class itself but also when they want to study outside class hours. They pointed out the difficulty of studying at home with a house full of young children:

I so want to learn, so for me it would be to spend more time here actually working. Even having a day or an afternoon where you could come down and maybe have the crèche workers there so you could have your project and know that the kids are looked after.' [Lothian, ALN Learner]

They also pointed to the difficulty of going to the library to get information or study, when you have to take children with you. Transport is another support needed - some learners would like to see field trips to overcome their isolation, whether to the library or other sites. Without transportation they find it difficult even to go to the library (especially with the additional cost of transporting children as well as themselves).

Some learners suggested a need for guidance workers to support learning. They would like to have someone they can go to in order to find out about their options, and people who can advise them on other issues in their lives (housing, financial and so on). In their own experience most of the focus group participants had found it hard to get information about options, and certainly it was not all in one place:

'I think you have to go to different people, because there's always one contact gives you another and you just have to carry on until you get what you want. If you're lucky enough and you get what you want all in one place then fair enough, but I think nine times out of ten you have to continue pursuing until you get what you want.' [Highlands, Other Adult Learner]

e) Financial assistance with costs and fees

Tuition costs were a matter of primary concern, especially to learners in FE colleges. They pointed out that the fees for courses prevented people studying. Computer courses in particular are often fee bearing, and therefore out of reach to many.

Other financial assistance was also discussed. 'Having your fees paid is alright but people still need to eat, to put a roof over their heads, clothes on their back, if the government could find a way [to help them].' [Aberdeen, ALN/FE Learner]

They suggested that for adult learners, any possibility of full-time education in further or higher education would be very difficult without some kind of additional financial support. One participant said he had been discouraged by New Deal from even thinking about further education. Several participants suggested that serious learners should be paid:

'I think they should pay us because if we were doing a job we'd be getting paid anyway. We're trying to better ourselves to be able to do a better job so while we're here we should be getting paid. It would be an encouragement for people to better themselves because we would be able to put something back into society, we wouldn't be stuck in a dead end job.' [Highlands, Other Adult Learner]

f) Publicity and outreach to new learners

Finally, learners had many ideas about how to reach out to new learners. 'People need to know about it.' Publicity about courses is needed in many different forms - 'the places where everybody goes'. Local newspapers can be a good place for ads.

Having the right kind of place for information is important to learners who have been out of education for a long time and are not confident about their own skills and needs. One participant from a family centre, not a current learner, said she felt comfortable in the local education centre but would not in a college:

'One of mine goes swimming in the local education centre, so obviously when he's in swimming lessons I'm walking up and down reading all the notices. The good thing there is you can walk in and pick up a programme, it's not frightening. If I walked into college I think I would be like whoa, because someone would say what can I do for you, I'm like help! I would probably say I've got the wrong building, sorry.' [Aberdeen, Non-participant]

Focus group participants had many ideas about places to get out information about learning opportunities for people like them:

• Posters in local shops
• Supermarket notice-boards and till receipts in supermarkets
• Buses
• Vets and doctors offices
• Notice-boards in schools, libraries, community centres, doctors' surgeries, Job Centres, works canteens, swimming pools
• Radio ads and shows, especially ones that use current learners to talk about their experiences
• Television ads -- several had seen ads for LearnDirect, though they thought it was only for college courses, not for literacy and numeracy and adult education.

g) Changing the culture of learning

Most participants felt that simply putting out information is not enough: there needs to be national change in the culture of learning. People need to see learning as positive, as something they can and want to do. They had a variety of suggestions for how to accomplish this. Participants from villages and small towns especially felt that word of mouth was the main way to get information out.

Some see themselves as a resource in reaching out to others. Learners may be eager to share what they have learned. One Highlands group suggested using radio interviews with learners who have completed a course.

'Your suggestion was Nevis Radio, if we got another course started, take each one of us and each give a talk and say how we were. That would reach far more people because we are normal people who were really insecure and not confident. We now feel that we have gained so much from this course that we can go out and say to our next door neighbour, oh, you know this course was absolutely fantastic. And you can go and sit in a radio station and say to a couple of hundred people this course was absolutely fantastic, because you are confident and you know that you succeeded on that course. I feel that would reach far more people than putting a leaflet through the door which people will pick up, look at it and put it in the bin. [Highlands, Other Adult Learner]

Some groups felt there was a need for a central information point in every town, where people can find out about learning options. One group suggested an Education Shop to meet that need.

'Just a drop-in centre during the week where if anyone's got problems they could go in and there would be all sorts of leaflets and information and people that you could talk to.'

'If people have a desire for education then where better than an education shop in the High Street of your own town.' [Aberdeen, ALN Learners]

In another focus group with non-participants in a small Highlands community, participants strongly supported the idea of a local adult education adviser who could provide a link between residents and learning opportunities:

'An Adviser or something that can come round and let folk know exactly what is available to them and then if there is enough folk interested then start up something locally...'

'If they went round villages with a sort of roadshow with a selection of things that could be made available to communities.' [Highlands, Non-participants]

A few learners talked about the potential to use television to reach new learners, both in terms of advertising classes that are available, and in delivering learning. The Open University was seen as a model of accessible learning, but at a level that is too high for them. One non-participant in a family centre said:

'I'm actually looking out at the minute to go and actually do something because I feel brain dead, but I don't feel there's anything for me, like going and doing English and maths and that. I'm just like whoa, it's been X amount of years since I left school let alone anything else. At least Open University seems to be hours to suit, because you can record their programmes and they have got the telephone lines. But it's just getting the motivation again, when you read what they've got to offer it's really daunting, because it's 16-17 years since I left school. Can't they have back to basics?' [Aberdeen, Non-participant]

Others suggested a television campaign could provide information about learning options and generate interest. 'A national television campaign encouraging people or at least giving them the option, giving them the information to generate interest in raising your awareness in your own educational level.' [Aberdeen, ALN/FE Learner]

One person remembered the BBC's literacy campaign of the 1970s, 'On the Move,' and said it was no longer on -'I don't know why. It's just disappeared. Let's face it, every year people still have difficulties reading and writing and people watching it can take the number from the tv.' [Glasgow, ALN Learner]

He suggested that its time had come again.

It will take a change in attitude to get more people back into learning. The literacy and numeracy learners in our focus groups say they are made to feel 'thick', ashamed of having difficulties with reading and writing. They want to see advertising used to change that attitude.

'I would like Mr. McLeish to spend it on advertising so that people don't feel out of place or living in fear of being found out. Taking the shame away from it. Just an advert showing a guy totally confident and knowing that he can't read or write, going along to a class and doing it. Not being paranoid that somebody is going to find out. Just own up to it, give people the confidence to go ahead and do something. It needs to be done, especially in this day and age.' [Glasgow, Other Adult Learner]

h) Listening to Learners

New learners, and especially ALN learners, often lack confidence that their own views are valuable. Participants in the consultation suggested that this could be overcome by the influence of more experienced peer learners who can reassure them. Discussions rather than written formats may be a better way of gathering input from these groups, and other learners may be in the best position to engage learners. One focus group discussed the possibility of an additional meeting time each week for peer tutoring:

'It would be good if we could get a room available even once a week for an hour, and we could all get together without [tutor] being there, and we could all discuss how we're doing and help each other out. Because one of us might find something's easy and be able to handle it and someone might find it difficult. [Lothian, Other Adult Learner]

One ALN group in an FE college came up with an idea for a class representative who combines consultation and guidance roles:

'We should have a class rep who knows everything, who knows where you go for guidance and support, and chats to everybody. Then if anyone has any problems try and get them answered from higher up.'

'I thought it was really good about the class rep., also having a meeting maybe once a week with your tutor. We never ever see our tutor and it would just be nice to have maybe half an hour a week where we could discuss certain points that come up, write them down and maybe find solutions to them rather than work through them all by ourselves.' [Aberdeen, ALN/FE Learners]

Structures such as Learner Forums, representatives and committees are not easy to sustain. They encounter problems with setting meeting times (difficult to work around the other commitments of learners). There is an interest among some learners in seeing these established. Such structures would need to be:

• Accessible (meeting times, text use)
• Regular (become part of the culture of the programme)
• Clear mechanisms for participation of part-time and adult learners (in FE colleges not just full-time 16-19 year old students)
• Responded to (all learners need to know what they are doing, what decisions are being made, and how their input has impacted decisions).

When we asked how they would want to see extra funding for adult literacy and numeracy education spent, some of the groups expressed scepticism that the money would really be spent on adult learning, or that it would be spent on what learners think are the most important things:

'Will they really do it, will the money really come?' [Fife, ALN/FE Learner]

'If they're saying to us that they're going to listen to our thoughts then I think they should show us that they've used the money on us, because 9 times out of 10 when somebody says to you they've got this money to spend you never actually see. So I think they should make it clear to us that they're doing something about it and no just hide it away and say, well, we've done this when that wasn't one of the big issues we talked about.' [Lothian, Other Adult Learner]

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