Open Access “Do you take cripples?”

1. Open Access“Do you take cripples?” Gerardine, Rob, Matt, Sam and Jo

2. Hypothesis • Open Access policies fail to meet the needs of lifelong learners • Open Access is a piece of worthless ideology

3. Sampling frame We examined the Open Access policies and procedures at: BCoT QMC Alton College

4. What is Open Access ? “Also called an open panel, allows participant to see another participating service provider without a referral” www.jpflanagan.com/html/mtoqfaq.html

5. What is Open Access ? • Please tell us!

6. What is Lifelong Learning? “The process of changing perceptions and practice to meet the rapidly changing demands of the knowledge society by moving away from learning as a preparation for life and work , to learning as an integral part of life and work” www.ao.bham.ac.uk/aps/glossary.htm

7. What is Lifelong Learning? “Adult education” ww.dabra.com/dictionary.html

8. Physical Access: Open access? Stuff this, I’m off to Alton College

9. Alton College • There is a good ramp leading to the doors • The doors are automatic • The entrance is all glass, giving all visitors a less intimidating view.

10. Physical Access: Open access?

11. Basingstoke College of Technology

12. Queen Mary’s College This building is used for special needs students. It is away from the main buildings and in need of repair

13. Alton College This lift was installed to enable wheelchair users and those with mobility problems access all the facilities in the library

14. Alton College These doors only open one way, are heavy and difficult to open

15. Wheelchair access • This effective clear width diagram shows the optimum design for wheelchair friendly entrances

18. Chicken Pie chart!

19. Current opinion • The three pools of future labour are • Women • Immigrants • Older people But : • The government will only fund free tuition to level 2, or • Adults who do not have a level 3 qualification in a geographical area with a recognised skills shortage Peter Kingston, Guardian 08/02/05

20. Current opinion Peter Kingston • “It really requires us to stop treating adult skills as a sideshow compared with universities and schools” • “one years additional schooling for young people adds 6% per capita to a nations GDP” The Guardian, 8th February 2005

21. Organisation for EconomicCo-operation and Development • The OECD is carrying out a large scale survey into adult skills to establish whether European states should shift funding to adult education – the results are anticipated in 2009 when the current bulge in 16-19 year old ends The Guardian, 8th February 2005

22. Poor self efficacy prevents many people from attending FE • The recent advertising campaign ‘Get rid of your gremlins’ aims to show people they can be empowered and welcomed

23. Barriers to Learning • Cultural – class, ethnicity, gender and age • Structural – money, time travel, guidance, peer pressure, class size, teacher/parent relations, teacher/student, social deprivation • Personal – family pressure, family view of education, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, self efficacy, expectations

24. Socio-Political Issues • Lifelong learning (L3) increases self efficacy and social engagement • 90% of adults recognise the benefits • 33% say it is not for them • There is no money available for L3 • Money is directed toward Skills and Employability • The overall perception is that Further Education is just for teenagers The Guardian, 8th February 2005

25. The Moser report • Sir Claus Moser, chairman of the Basic Skills Agency, was commissioned to write a report in 1998. He found: • 7 million adults in England have problems with literacy and numeracy • One in five adults are functionally illiterate – if you gave them the Yellow Pages they would not be able to find a plumber www.tes.co.uk/search/story

26. NIACE National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (England and Wales) • According to NIACE 80% of learners in FE are adults • NIACE are launching an enquiry into the future of adult education – with an emphasis on funding! • The fear is that most of the cash is going into Tomlinson’s 14-19 project

27. Case Studies • Part of Bcot’s open access policy involves school students with special needs experiencing classes across various curriculum areas • Recently, one group had organised a visit to Davy Close • On arrival, one student could not manage the busy and dangerous walk to the entrance, one was unable to climb the stairs to the classroom…. • And a third was in a wheelchair

28. Case studies cont.. • A young mother wanted to enrol on a fulltime childcare course • Despite several meetings with the course and nursery staff, she was unable to organise childcare for her baby to fit around her studies

29. Over to you…. • What can we do? • Would you come back to learning? • Do you see your future teaching adults or teenagers?

30. Clap-o-meter Chicken feed PGCE standard Key Skills L1 Finger-lickin’ good!

31. Look out for the Movie version of our presentation, Starring • Drew Barrymore as Jo Hatton • Liz Hurley as Gerardine Chapman • Jude Law as Matthew Hudswell • Richard Gere as Rob Lowthian • Angelina Jolie as Sam Wrigley This was a skivers-at-the-back production for the University of Portsmouth