Organisation and Policy: Influencing Public Policy: Archive

1. Introduction

This response is submitted on behalf of the Older and Bolder Advisory Group (see Appendix 1 for constitution). We are responding independently as a group of experts committed to the concerns and interests of older people themselves, and not therefore on behalf of our organisations formally, although we subscribe also to our organisations' submissions of views in other ways. As a group, we are still mainly "second agers" with professional roles in different fields, and therefore we are not lobbying for ourselves. However, we are aware of the implications of the transition to older age, and at least two of us are genuine "third agers", and active members of the University of the Third Age (U3A).

2.

The Older and Bolder initiative is funded by the Carnegie (UK) Trust limited, as part of the continuing Carnegie Third Age Programme of project work, and also by the Esmee Fairbairn Charitable Trust. It was established in 1995 by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) with the aims of promoting more and better opportunities for people over the age of 50 to participate in learning. The initiative grew out of the work of the Carnegie Inquiry into the Third Age, and from NIACE's own research and survey work, showing proportionally lower participation in learning by those moving from middle to older ages compared to younger age groups. NIACE's learning participation survey conducted by Gallup in 1996, (and published in "The Learning Divide"), shows that only about 1 in 4 of the age group 55-64, with fewer than 1 in 5 at aged 65+ had been engaged in learning programmes during the previous three years. This contrasts sharply with the increased participation by more than 4 out of 5 17-19 year olds during the same period. As with other learners, these proportions decrease even further for those who left school at or under 16, in social classes D and E, for people who are no longer employed, or who are in low skilled/low pay jobs, and for older women who especially lack opportunities for qualification or work-based learning.

3.

Given the demographic increase of older age-groups, it is surprising that they are not already present in greater numbers in the whole range of education provision. The needs and aspirations of people over 50 are fundamentally the same as those of young people: they are still concerned with the changing nature of work, both paid and voluntary unpaid, with their families and communities, with full and active lives as citizens, with healthy and activity, and with culture and enjoyment. Unfortunately, continuing concentration on the young has excluded the old who now believe education is not for them. But to make lifelong learning real for everyone we need to value learning for its own sake, rediscover the benefits of learning from experience, in inter-generational groups, and dismantle unreal and unhelpful definitions of vocational (young) and non-vocational (older) provision. Real progress can only come with incentives for everyone to invest in future outcomes beneficial to all, by creating opportunities to maximise individual independence.

4.

Michael Bichard as Permanent Secretary to the DfEE, helpfully identified several prime factors to prevent the social exclusion of older people by:

We welcome therefore the establishment of the inter-Ministerial group to co-ordinate Government policy and planning affecting older people, and the specific programmes on Better Value, and Better Government for Older People. This recognises that learning is integral to all aspects of continuing active lives, and that older people's skills, experience and mentoring are valuable and equally worthy of support by and for everyone in society.

5.

The vision of "The Learning Age" matches our commitment to lifelong learning and we welcome the inclusive approach set out. The paper's positive view of social and cultural issues as well as economic is constructive and enabling, shifting the focus to learning for independent, active citizenship. We share the Government's recognition that learning is equally important for older generations as for the young, for families and for inter-generational group learning, for the life of communities, for voluntary and unpaid work as well as for employment. The framework of the proposals for the National Grid for Learning, the University for Industry, and the success of the Learning Direct national guidance helpline already established, provide for more localised delivery to learners, and is age-blind in offering better and more flexible choices of learning programmes, mode and timing, in support of wider participation. It is important to put the interests' of the learners first and before sectoral interests, whether about the potential divide or overlap between Further and Higher Education, or any demarcation which acts as a barrier to learners' aspirations to move on, in new directions of learning. Equally, "Learning Direct" needs to be underpinned by locally accessible guidance services, providing support to individual learners within a recognised quality framework, as advocated by the National Council for Careers and Educational Guidance.

6.

From the Older and Bolder initiative's Senior Learner Awards, and from our organisations' other experiences, we can cite many instances of individuals whose achievements are great and for whom learning has transformed their lives. We have collected also much evidence of imaginative education and training provision, much of it in partnerships of very different agencies, which thrive even in the face of extreme shortage of resources. However, these are the relatively few shining examples. Most older people do not have much opportunity to pursue learning programmes and therefore little faith that learning is for them.

7.

So lifelong learning is not yet a real opportunity for most older people, and therefore is a dramatic test case for the Government. Those who have not benefited from education earlier, and yet who have contributed to the community all their lives must be treated at least fairly, if not more generously. To effect this there must be means of encouragement for all who want to learn in new directions, as well as support for providers to meet new demands from whole communities. The Government needs to plan coherently through Further and Higher Education and the broader provision of liberal and informal adult education, following the demographically progressive model of the Open University, to make lifelong learning stick for succeeding generations. A society which wants to "develop and sustain a regard for learning at whatever age" needs to develop policies and strategies which work for people of all ages. This will become a strong foundation for Government's commitment to reduce social exclusion, and to build a more healthy, wealthy and welfare cost-effective nation for the longer term.

8. The Green Paper's Proposals

While the vision is inspiring, it is difficult to find it applied to older people in the context that follows, apart from one or two passing references. And yet people from middle age onwards continue to be a huge resource, whether in the waged or in the voluntary economy, or as active citizens supporting their families and communities. The Government therefore needs to take into account how each of its proposals can apply beneficially to older people, or at least to ensure that no further detriment will result from new developments. As continuing taxpayers they are entitled to benefit not least because their contributions go back further and have been particularly critical at earlier stages.

9.

For example, the University for Industry linked to broadcast technology has the potential to be the most effective and widespread outreach mechanism for learning, provided it is not confined to the immediate (and imperfect) prognosis and delivery of employment-related skills. It can elicit direct responses and information from learners in a way which is age, gender and status-blind, and from organisations on a larger and more coherent scale. As a means of encouraging and supporting learning for those who are isolated either socially or geographically, or by fragility or disability, it cannot be beaten. Coupled with our research evidence that older people are as avid to learn about and use IT in their own lives, the University for Industry could widen participation not only in specific forms of education and training, but in a much wider agenda of health, social and civic engagement.

10.

Similarly, Individual Learning Accounts provide an enabling mechanism which should be open equally to older people, as a universal entitlement, encouraging choice and engagement. It should not be assumed that older people are a uniform and stereotypically dependent group who no longer have an interest in investing their own resources in learning. The rapid development of the U3A in just over 10 years to more than 50,000 members in more than 200 branches demonstrates that there is a large commitment of time, energy and some money, on a self help basis. Much more could be achieved with a relatively small amount of funding, particularly via Individual Learning Accounts which could be pooled by family or voluntary groups. Equally, it should not be assumed that employers, or other agencies, would not wish to contribute to older people's learning accounts. There is a growing enlightenment, led by good employers and relevant agencies, that there is good value in encouraging the experience and continuity of older employees, in many flexible modes.

11.

Also, it should not be assumed that older people do not wish to learn in "hard" subjects, or to seek qualifications, or to learn for work purposes, whether paid or unpaid. All the evidence demonstrates that they are as diverse in their purposes as any other age groups. Equally, learning for potential interest and fulfilment can become functional at any stage, and accreditation provides a useful measure of value best accessed when it's useful but optional. Therefore, there is equal need for the development of clear and transferable credit frameworks, ideally to link broad and community-based adult education, as developed by the Open College Networks system, into Further and Higher Education programmes.

12. Our Recommendations

12.1 LEAs and Adequacy

Under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, Local Education Authorities continue to be responsible for "securing adequate facilities" to meet the educational needs of their local adult population. For older people especially, local authorities need to take into account the integral role of education services to sustaining health, as well as social and economic independence, and it is in the authorities' interests to do so as a means of achieving best value.

However, there have been serious reductions in funding and participation in adult education services run by local education authorities, which have had a direct and negative impact on participation by older adults, both in the overall volume of provision, and in the curriculum range available.

12.2

The Older and Bolder Advisory Group recommends that the Government consult with the Local Government Association and prepare a circular to define authorities' existing statutory duty to secure 'adequate' facilities for Further Education outside of the remit of the FEFCs, and that the circular should explicitly address the need to assess and make provision appropriate to the learning needs of older adults.

12.3

The Group also recommends that the Government increase the funding available to local authorities to provide a general adult education. A measure of the requirement is that it should constitute about 0.5% of each Local Education Authority's total rate support grant allocation. This amount should be a net addition to any other funding, and not a redistribution of other funds. The Learning Society envisaged by the Secretary of State will need a great diversity of provision, to maximise participation.

12.4

The Group recommends that the Adult and Community Learning Fund should make the active engagement of those older people without post-compulsory education a key priority for funding.

12.5 Voluntary Sector Provision

The rapid expansion of provision in Universities of the Third Age, and in a myriad of other voluntary organisations, is testimony to the demand for learning in the population, and to the critical role of voluntary agencies in meeting demand. Voluntary sector providers are particularly creative in supporting learning in different settings: day and residential care, for those disabled and/or housebound, for women, and for black and ethnic or linguistic minority communities. However, voluntary agencies in education have been little supported in public policy over the last decade.

12.6

The Older and Bolder Advisory Group recommends that the Secretary of State ensures that LEA development plans address the role of voluntary bodies in contributing to securing adequate facilities; and that voluntary bodies are involved in local and regional Lifelong Learning forums.

12.7 FEFC - Funded Provision

Evidence from the FEFCs student statistics show that the cap on growth in Further Education colleges in 1997-8 hit participation by older people disproportionately. The National Adult Learning Survey shows that for learners in their 60s half are pursuing studies related to work. Therefore the Further Education sector should be an appropriate area of provision for such studies, given their target of substantial expansion of numbers of learners by 2002.

12.8

The Older and Bolder Advisory Group recommends that the policy priorities highlighted in the Kennedy report should be supported by increased funding for Further Education after the comprehensive spending review, and that the FEFCs should be invited to report on older people's participation in FEFC funded provision.

12.9 Higher Education

The move to mainstream funding of adult education in Higher Education institutions has reduced the volume of participation by older learners in many universities. By contrast, a few universities have demonstrated the value of recruiting older learners to both targeted discrete, and also mainstream programmes, encouraging a wider experiential base for intergenerational learning, curriculum development and research.

12.10

The Advisory Group welcomes the inclusion of older people's projects in the HEFCE Widening Participation programme, and recommends that the Government ask HEFCE to report on older people's participation in higher education regularly, and that the Secretary of State highlights the role Higher Education can play in meeting the learning needs of older people in the annual letter to the Council.

12.11 Ageism

Ageism is a prevalent social attitude, particularly amongst the powerful but fearful mid-life, mid-career age group (but less amongst children and the young). It causes stereotyping of older people as declining in competence, skills, imagination and strength, although none of these conclusions are evidenced and clearly they are not universally true. Ageism at work is a serious problem, fuelled by the assumption that investment in younger people offers the best payback. The evidence is to the contrary, that older workers demonstrate loyalty and commitment over a longer period of time, bring thoughtful experience to bear on their work, and benefit equally from training in new skills. In relation to age discrimination in employment, long trial and experience shows that encouragement and exhortation have not produced change. Therefore, there was a firm belief that the new Government would introduce legislation against age discrimination. This has not happened. The Code of Practice for employers, recently introduced, needs greater publicity and firmer promulgation, with tighter monitoring for employers' actions to support it. The Employers Forum on Age is well-placed to carry out such monitoring on behalf of the Government, and could be resourced to do so. Government, meanwhile, should lead by example.

12.12

The Older and Bolder Advisory Group recommends that Government should set an example as an employer by varying retirement patterns to enable older workers to manage the transition from work to retirement more smoothly, and should introduce learning opportunities for staff of all ages in the public service. It should also publish evidence of take up. In addition the Government should promote such practice to employers.

12.13 Health

There is accumulating evidence that participation in learning plays a part in reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease, and more general evidence that learning prolongs active life and delays dependency. Preventative medicine and health education also sustain independent living, but despite potential cost savings to the Exchequer, the only rationale for public investment accepted in The Learning Age relates to current activity in the waged labour market.

12.14

The Older and Bolder Advisory Group recommends that the Departments of Health, Education and Employment, and Culture, Media and Sport should collaborate to commission studies to measure the economic impact of investment in the education of older people. Such a study will need to consider the economic benefits of unwaged voluntary work, and caring, and the costs of not securing such voluntary activity.

12.15 Surveys and Statistics

One reason for the inadequacy of attention to the learning needs of older adults in The Learning Age is that the Government's own studies on participation only survey participation by people up to the age of 69. However, the needs of adults in active retirement, and those in some way reliant on support in a housebound setting are different. Adult Learners' Week shows regularly the zest for learning shown by older people of all ages, many beyond 70.

12.16

The Older and Bolder Advisory Group recommends that future surveys of adult participation should include adults of all ages, as the NIACE studies have done. Guidelines should be agreed on means of standardisation of data collection, especially of age bands, to enable effective comparative analysis.

12.17 Family Learning

In the development of family literacy work, the Government has made a welcome recognition of the benefits of inter-generational learning, working in both directions: older to and from younger. The family is also an exemplar of the potential of learning in groups, sharing different knowledge and experience, and boosting confidence about what can be achieved.

12.18

The Older and Bolder Group endorse that recognition valuing the role of older people as mentors, tutors and researchers in inter-generational learning. Family Learning Groups which include older learners over 50 years of age should be a priority for the Adult and Community Learning Fund.

12.19 Information Technology and Connecting Learning

New technologies and the University for Industry present rich possibilities for extending the active citizenship of older people, but there is a real danger that older people will be excluded from the benefits of The National Grid for Learning, because of lack of access to equipment and facilities. This is particularly so for those who are disabled, or have become frail.

12.20

The Older and Bolder Advisory Group recommends that the Government should include housebound and active older learners as priority groups to be supported through the University for Industry and the National Grid for Learning.

12.21 Funding the Learner

As it reads at present, Government policy affecting older learners only recognises their contribution to the waged economy, and ignores the other benefits they bring, as members of families and communities, to the spreading of a culture of lifelong learning. For older people that must mean an end to age discrimination in education and financial regulations. There is some small recognition of this in 2.22 of The Learning Age, and the recent extension of loans for Higher Education to maximum age 55 is welcome, but this is not enough. As with all other age groups, we need an equitable and accessible funding entitlement for individual learners, recognising the State's role to enable learning. Age barriers are irrelevant and unhelpful, and there needs to be equitable funding of part-time as well as full-time study, open to all.

12.22

The Older and Bolder Advisory Group commends the practice of the Swedish and Norwegian Governments in making entitlements available to all ages, and recommends that access to loans, fee remission and grants should be available to all on the basis of need, not on grounds of age.

12.23 Broadcasting

The broadcast media have a vital role to play in promoting older people's participation in education, both informally through viewing, and by encouraging participation in community-based or other formal provision. Older people watch television to a greater extent than younger, and radio is not only entertainment but a lifeline for some. Radio and television, at local, regional and national level, are sources of informal educative information, can provide an infrastructure to encourage learning, and can link learners to other forms of provision, as well as providing direct educational programmes as a distance learning medium. The reach of broadcasters into 97% of homes taps a huge market, and the developers of digitised services will be taking this into account already

12.24

The Older and Bolder Advisory Group recommend that the Government should re-introduce a responsibility for all terrestrial broadcasters to provide educational programmes for adults, and to promote learning opportunities in prime time on mass channels, as well as on dedicated educational channels.

12.25 "Learning is for Everyone in Wales"

Overall it is interesting to note that whilst the Green Paper for Wales "Learning is for Everyone" is broadly similar to "The Learning Age" in its vision and principles, "LIFE" is more explicit in its focus on the value of community education, and the need to promote this explicitly. It is stronger about the potential of local partnerships, and the aim of public funding to widen participation at all levels of provision. In particular "LIFE" links in Wales:

NIACE/O&B/Learning Age/SEC.

20th July 1998.

Joanna Bornat, The Open University
Audrey Cloet, University of the Third Age
Brian Groombridge, University of London
Lesley Hart, University of Strathclyde
Jenny Hunt, BBC Education
Margaret Hyde, Esmee Fairbairn Charitable Trust
Dianne Norton, Age Concern England
Vas Patel, Commission for Racial Equality
Jane Smethurst, Wirral Metropolitan College
Joanna Walker,  Pre-Retirement Association
Alex Withnall, University of Keele
Richard Worsley, Carnegie Third Age Programme

NIACE Staff Team:

Alan Tuckett                      Director
Shiela Carlton                   Associate Director
Jim Soulsby                      Development Officer

Secretarial support drawn from:

Nicola Aylward                 Administrative Secretary
Raxa Chauhan (part-time) Secretarial Assistant
Jag Kotecha (part-time)    Secretarial Assistant

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