ADULTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN LIFELONG LEARNING /EUROPEAN & FINNISH PERSPECTIVE

1. ADULTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN LIFELONG LEARNING /EUROPEAN & FINNISH PERSPECTIVE Grundtvig Contact Seminar in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia 6. – 9.10.2011 Liisa Metsola, Keskuspuisto Vocational College liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

2. KESKUSPUISTO VOCATIONAL COLLEGE IN A NUTSHELL • Vocational college and adult education provider for students with special needs • Over 1000 students yearly • 18 different vocational qualifications + pre- vocational and preparatory and rehabilitiative training + various adult education qualifications • Students have various challenges • Visual impairment • Hearing impairment • Autism • Asperger syndrome • Mild learning difficulties • Severe learning difficulties • Disorders in language and speech development • Mental health problems • ADHD / ADD • Behaviour challenges etc. liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

3. ADULT EDUCATION • “All learning activity undertaken throughout life, with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competences within a personal, civic, and social and/or employment - related perspective.” (European Commission) liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

4. ADULT LEARNING • Adult learning is essential to employability,social inclusion, active citizenship and personal development across Europe. • The challenge is to provide opportunities for all, especially the most disadvantaged groups who need learning most. liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

5. ADULT LEARNING • offered in a variety of environments, • involving multiple stakeholders (including public and private sectors, training providers, local communities and authorities, NGOs etc.)  central to reaching disadvantaged and at risk groups. liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

6. FACTS ABOUT ADULT EDUCATION • Participation in adult learning declines with age – especially in vocational and work related fields • Participation rates increase as the level of education of the participants rises • The worse the social situation, the less likely people are to take part in adult education • Participation is lower in rural than in urban areas • Ethnic minorities take considerably less part in adult learning than the native population. • How about people with special needs like disabilities? liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

7. The firstAdulteducationsurvey • More than a third of the EU population between 25-64 years participate in formal or non-formal education and training. • No information about the participation of people with special needs liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

8. KEY DATA ABOUT ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES : • One in four Europeans has a family member with a disability. Six out of ten Europeans know someone in close or more distant circles who has a disability. • People with reduced mobility represent more than 40% of the population. • 63% of people with disabilities are older than 45 years old. Nearly 30% of people in the 55-64 age group report a disability. Disability rates will increase as the EU population gets older. • The more severe the degree of disability, the lower the participation in the labor force. Only 20% of people with severe disabilities, compared to 68% for those without disabilities are active or participate in the labor force. • Persons with disabilities are less likely (by more than 50%) to reach third level education as non disabled persons. (Synthesis Report reviewing key policy and programme developments on inclusion in education and training at European Level, 2011) liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

9. ACTIVE INCLUSION THROUGH EDUCATION • Expanding access to adult education can create new possibilities for active inclusion and enhanced social participation, especially for the low skilled, the unemployed, adults with special needs, the elderly, and migrants. liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

10. BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION Possibilites to participatearenotequal: • Notenoughsupportservices • Qualifications of the teachers • Methods and materialsarenotaccessible • Cognitivelevel is notsuitable • Recognition and validation of priorlearning • Lack of guidance and counsellingservices • Attitudes of trainingproviders • Lack of cross-sectoralco-operation and networking liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

11. KEY ISSUE / SOLUTION? • flexible and diversified learning paths “An accessible and dynamic learning environment, tailored to the needs and true potential of every individual.” (Inclusion seminar in Rome June,2011) liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

12. THE FINNISH PERSPECTIVE • Education is considered to be one of the fundamental rights of all citizens • The public authorities are obligated to guarantee everyone an equal opportunity to obtain other education besides basic education according to their abilities and special needs, and to develop oneself without being prevented by economic reasons. • By statutory legislation, it is assured that persons with disabilities have access vocational to lifelong learning without discrimination and on an equal basis with others. liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

13. THE FINNISH PERSPECTIVE • According to the Vocational Education and Training Act, a student in special needs education is entitled to special needs assistant services, other student welfare services and special aids, where necessary, to enable them to study. (630/1998 § 38) liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

14. SITUATION IN FINLAND • More than 1.7 million citizens participate in different types of adult education each year. More than half of this number is made up of the working age population. • The aim is for the annual share of the working age population participating in education to reach 60 per cent by 2012. • To achieve this figure, the participation base needs to be expanded and the study opportunities of the population groups who participate the least must be improved. • The goal is to increase the study opportunities of people with no vocational education and training or whose education is outdated, for example, adults with special needs. liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

15. ADULT EDUCATION PROVIDERS IN FINLAND • Adult education and training is provided by some 800 institutions in Finland; some of them are specialised adult education providers. • Adult education is available within the official education system in: • adult upper secondary schools • vocational institutions and vocational adult training centres • national and private vocational institutions • polytechnics and universities • and in liberal adult education in: • adult education centres • folk high schools • summer universities • study centres • sports institutes liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

16. SPECIFIC FEATURE IN THE FINNISH EDUCATION SYSTEM • PRE-VOCATIONAL TRAINING (20 – 80 credits) • Studentswithspecialneedswhoneed to developtheircognitive and life management skills • The nextstepwillbevocationalstudies • PREPARATORY AND REHABILITATIVE TRAINING FOR WORK AND INDEPENDENT LIFE (40 – 120 credits) • Studentswithseverelearningdisabilities • Training of independent life skills and certain, tailor-madeworktasks • Lots of need for support • Transitionplans made during the training (living, employment etc.) liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

17. FUTURE TRENDS IN ADULT EDUCATION IN FINLAND • independent and internet based learning environments, allowing many to adopt a practice of lifelong learning within their everyday lives. • However, this system is reliant on the student seeking out learning actively, which is partly a reflection on the emphasis on self-motivation and each individual´s freedom to choose, which may limit those with less motivation or capabilities. • There is growing research in the field of adult education and inclusion in Finland however, with a strong belief that adult education should be accessible to all, and a concern with inclusion of minority groups. liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

18. FUTURE TRENDS IN ADULT EDUCATION IN FINLAND • learning in working life • recognising skills that have been acquired in different ways, • facilitating opportunities to combine studies in a flexible way and enhancing adult education offered by higher education institutions. • guidance and counselling services geared towards those population groups that are least represented in adult education to increase their study opportunities • clarification of the benefit systems available for adult education and expanding the funding base. liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

19. TO END WITH … • Education and training systems with flexible pathways, which keep opportunities open as long as possible and which avoid "dead ends", help to overcome disadvantage. • Education and training systems with flexible pathways also help to avoid socio-economic or cultural marginalization and being held back by low expectations. • Providing lifelong guidance and the validation of acquired skills, including the recognition of prior learning and experience, diversifying admission patterns for all levels of education and training, including higher education and adult learning, and devoting more attention to the quality and attractiveness of learning environments, can facilitate transitions for learners. • Innovative ways of delivering guidance and collaboration with other social services and civil society are needed to reach out to disadvantaged groups outside the education and training systems. (Council conclusions on the social dimension of education and training, Council of the European Union, May 2010) liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

20. TO END WITH … • “Social inclusion through education and training should ensure equal opportunities for access to quality education, as well as equity in treatment, including by adapting provision to individuals’ needs. At the same time, it should ensure equal opportunities to achieve the best outcomes, by seeking to provide the highest of the key competencies for all.” (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2010:135:0002:0007:EN:PDF) liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi

21. PLEASE, CHECK • http://www.llpinclusion.eu/ Thank you for your attention liisa.metsola@keskuspuisto.fi