All over, red rover? - The neglect and potential of Australian adult education in the community

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jasmine

The paper critically examines the neglected and fragmented state of adult education in Australia, using research-based analysis aligned with a “looking back, moving forward” theme. It argues that adult learning’s future potential depends on recognizing adult education as more than vocational competencies, and on linking lifelong and lifewide learning to health and wellbeing. The authors highlight equity concerns: adult and community education is least accessible to groups with the most negative school experiences and the greatest non-vocational learning needs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Adult and community education in Australia: need and policy uncertainty

Gap between adult learning demands and government approach

Equity and access: least available to those with greatest need

Policy, research, and practice changes for adult learning’s future potential

Literacy challenges and implications

Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 51, Special Edition, December 2011 All over, red rover? The neglect and potential of Australian adult education in the community Barry Golding and Annette Foley University of Ballarat Consistent with the ‘looking back, moving forward’conference theme, in this paper we undertake a critical, research-based appraisal of the current, arguably neglected state of adult education in Australia in 2010, and proceed to paint a picture of how a different and potentially more positive future might be realised. Firstly, we emphasise situations (including states and territories) in Australia in which adult education is seen to be lacking or missing for particular groups of adults. Secondly we emphasise research evidence confirming the demonstrable value of learning for purposes other than those that are immediately vocational. We identify links between lifelong and lifewide learning on one hand, and health and wellbeing on the other. Part of the paper involves international comparisons with other forms of adult learning that Australia might learn from, adapt or borrow. We make particular reference to research underpinning the recent Inquiry into the Future of Lifelong Learning by NIACE in the United Kingdom. Our 54 Barry Golding and Annette Foley first main conclusion has to do with equity. Adult and community education (ACE) in Australia is currently seen to be least available or accessible to those Australians with the most limited and most negative experiences of school education, but the most need to learn in non-vocational domains. These groups include older Australians, some men and women, people not in paid work, and rural, isolated and Indigenous people. Our second main conclusion is that, to realise adult learning’s future potential, we need changes to government policies, research and practice that acknowledge and actively support the broader nature and value of learning for life across all age groups. To paraphrase research from Belgium by Sfard (2008), based around Beck’s (1986) exploration of reflexive modernity, the adult education function ofACE is in dire straits, unless education is seen as being much more valuable than the sum of individual vocational competencies, and particularly unless it is also recognised, valued and supported as one of many valuable outcomes of social, lifelong and lifewide learning throughout the community. Introduction There has been widespread agreement for the past two decades, in a wide range of national and international research and policy literature, that there is a need for and value of ongoing lifelong and lifewide learning by adults of all ages for a wide range of social, vocational, community, economic and cultural purposes. However in 2010 there is no national policy consensus in Australia about what forms the adult and community education (ACE)‘sector’ currently takes (or should take) beyond the existing higher education and vocational education and training (VET) sectors, or what roles national, state or territory governments should play in its policies, provision or funding. In this paper we seek to explore the concerning gap between an increasing need for all adults to keep learning through life, All over, red rover? 55 and governments adopting a ‘she’ll-be-right’ approach to adult learning (Milburn, 2010). We identify an increasing abrogation of the responsibility for adult learning provision to the accredited vocational education and training ‘market’ and by default to the voluntary, community or third sector. This is occurring parallel toa research-based acknowledgement of an increasing proportion of‘hard-to-reach’(Nechvoglod & Beddie, 2010) and reluctant learners (Wallace, 2008) . Consistent with the ‘looking back, moving forward’ theme ofAdult Learning Australia’s 50th conference, we undertake a critical, research-based appraisal of the current, arguably neglected, confused, patchy and fragmented state of adult

FAQs

What does the paper identify as the current state of adult education in Australia in 2010?

It describes adult education as neglected, confused, patchy, and fragmented, with evidence pointing to an ongoing demise of the adult and community education (ACE) sector.

Which groups does the paper say have the least access to adult and community education?

Those with the most limited and negative experiences of school education, including older adults, some men and women, people not in paid work, and rural, isolated, and Indigenous people.

What changes does the paper call for to realize adult learning’s future potential?

It calls for changes to government policies, research, and practice that acknowledge and actively support the broader nature and value of learning across all age groups.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jasmine