6 Other examples of adult learning
programmes in specific contexts
They are far more likely to learn because they
can see the point of it, they are being treated as adults, it
is contextualised, and they know it is going to help them to get
a job on the outside. [Tom
Wilson, Unionlearn, on a programme for young offenders][91]
55. The need for a range of types of provision was
addressed earlier in this Report, and the need for learners to
see the relevance of what they are learning to real-life problems
is particularly important for the most disadvantaged learners.
This chapter explores two examples of such contextualised learning
programmes.
Prisons
56. The take-up of English and maths learning is
especially low among prisoners compared with the level of need
assessed at prisoners' inductions. Partnership with the prisoners
and learners rather than prescription is key to the success of
literacy and numeracy strategies. One prisoner from Leicester
described the negative effects of being forced into attending
prison classes:
You've gone upstairs and done the tests and probably
failed them, but that don't mean you should be stuck in a class
where you don't want to be. You should have that option to be
in a class where you want to be, really—somewhere where
you feel comfortable, as well […] If you're in a class where
you enjoy doing something you're more likely to get on with it
and enjoy it rather than just sit there.[92]
57. Tom Wilson, from Unionlearn, told us about a
programme run in a young offenders' institute, which embeds numeracy
and literacy teaching within other, vocational courses, within
a relevant context:
We have a programme in Glen Parva Young Offenders
Institute, where a great majority of young people with literacy
and numeracy issues—and these are 17-year-olds who cannot
read at all—are working class white from local council estates.
What we are doing with them is giving them skills in logistics,
which is how to get a job in a warehouse. There are union reps
from the local Sainsbury's who go into that young offenders institute
and will teach them how to drive a forklift truck and how to work
in a warehouse, which is a complicated operation these days, if
you think of Amazon, and so on. To get those skills they have
to learn, on the way, ICT, literacy and numeracy, all embedded
together. They are far more likely to learn because they can see
the point of it, they are being treated as adults, it is contextualised,
and they know it is going to help them to get a job on the outside.
That is the kind of thing that we would advocate as being the
most effective way to deal with the massive literacy and numeracy
problems that there are in prisons and young offenders institutes.[93]
58. Adam Fruish is the Writer-in-residence at Leicester
Prison. His evidence described the innovative paths used to get
prisoners interested in reading and writing:
These 'hard-to-reach' prisoners can be engaged
with, by creating non-threatening, fun situations that are entirely
for their own sake. Too hasty attempts to tie everything into
a qualification, are often counterproductive with the people who
need the most help. Qualifications scare some people off.[94]
59. Nina Champion, from the Prisoners Education Trust,
also highlighted the need for each prisoner to have his or her
learning plan, specifically formulated for their particular learning
requirements:
We welcome the recent Government announcement
of the roll out of literacy and numeracy assessments for all prisoners,
but this must be done […] in a way that is going to engage
that learner—not just assess them, but look at them as a
whole person. The timing of the assessment is also really important.
If it is done with the first couple of days of coming into prison,
often someone is not in that right frame of mind; they might have
been still using drugs or it might be their first time in custody.
In some prisons they do two lots of testing and the second test
tends to be more reliable in terms of their actual ability. That
should be borne in mind. Joining up is important. A lot of the
time they will have a number of different plans, so they might
have a learning plan through education; they might have a National
Careers Service plan[95]
and they might have a sentence plan. More often than not, those
plans are not actually joined up together. We would like to see
much more joined-up working across Departments to formulate one
single plan for that prisoner for their time in prison.[96]
60. One of the obstacles to effective provision of
services appears to be confusion over who is accountable for it.
Karen Adriaanse, from Ofsted, who told us about the separation
of the education and training provision, and the prison system.
She said that:
The governors of a prison do not currently have
clear accountability for the quality of the education, the teaching,
the literacy and numeracy, or the English and maths provision
in a prison. We would expect that the governors would know what
the need is, would know how well they are meeting the needs and
support that.[97]
However, Matthew Hancock MP argued that this issue
was known to the Government and was being addressed:
The training providers that go in are graded
by Ofsted. The prison governor is increasingly being held to account,
under the reforms, for what happens to their prisoners when they
leave; that is part of the rehabilitation revolution. It is a
bit like school heads being held to account now for the destination
of kids when they leave school. Obviously prison governors being
held to account for what happens to the prisoners when they leave
is a different level. There is a form of accountability there,
but Ofsted is also a form of accountability; if we have a grade
3 or 4 provider in a prison, then we should be asking questions
about it.[98]
61. Partnership working with prisoners, and the
offering of more relevant, functional courses, in which English
and maths skills are embedded, has a record of success. There
is a problem with the separation of the education and training
provision from the prison system itself. There is also a lack
of clarity on the accountability for the quality of English and
maths provision within the prison. This needs to be spelt out
to providers and to Governors.
62. There may not be enough hours of literacy
and numeracy classes to raise prisoners' reading, writing and
maths to a reasonable standard, especially if those prisoners
have short sentences. The courses need to be flexible enough to
ensure that prisoners take their accredited hours of literacy
and numeracy work with them, and, much like the pupil premium,
the funding of the prisoner should be portable and should accompany
the prisoner.
63. All prison libraries should be open over the
weekend, to ensure that prisoners have greater access to prison
libraries. We would also like reassurance from the Government
that improved literacy supports rehabilitation, and that the Government
is doing as much as possible to encourage this.
Homeless men and women
64. There are many problems faced by homeless men
and women, many of whom find it extremely hard to access formal
literacy and numeracy courses. St Mungo's Broadway is a charity
which supports people who are sleeping rough in London, Bristol,
Oxford, Reading and Sussex. According to its evidence: "many
of St Mungo's clients find it difficult to read, write and do
basic maths; 33% do not have the necessary skills to complete
a form, 16% cannot read a letter and 14% need support with numeracy".
One of the learners from St Mungo's Broadway sent in audio evidence,
telling us of her experiences:
I was fostered as a child and told that I was
stupid and chaotic, which I believed. I didn't spend much time
in school so I didn't improve my literacy. I had no self-esteem
or confidence, and I'm starting to build on this now. Because
of my bad literacy, I lost my home because I couldn't fill in
housing benefit forms. I didn't know what it was, so I put it
in the drawer. I didn't know whether or where to find support
to help me. We were then evicted and I ended up living on the
street. I now attend St Mungo's Broadway recovery college. I have
completed courses such as self-confidence, IT and assertiveness.
This has improved my confidence and self-esteem, and I am now
improving my literacy. This is because it is flexible, the clients
and tutors are there to help others, and we are not embarrassed
to do so. I can now complete forms, and my hope for the future
is to help people in the care sector.[99]
65. Anna Page, from St Mungo's Broadway, told us
about the benefits of embedding the teaching of literacy and numeracy
within vocational training courses:
We have basic skills tutors. We both train up
the staff working on those vocational courses and will have literacy
tutors who go and work with clients in those courses to help them
with their book work that they need to complete for work they
are doing for the vocational course. In bricklaying, it might
be about working out which quantities people might need to measure
to make up the cement, or in the music studio about writing lyrics
for a song that they might have composed. It is very much about
finding something that is relevant to people and working there.[100]
66. St Mungo's, Crisis and Homeless Links produced
a report which was critical of the Work Programme. As part of
that report it established a pilot programme, STRIVE ('Skills,
Training, Innovation, Employment'), which became operational in
April 2014. It is being delivered by St Mungo's Broadway and Crisis
and is supported by around £450,000 of funding from the Department
for Business Innovation and Skills, the Skills Funding Agency
and the Department for Communities and Local Government, with
co-operation from the North London Jobcentre Plus district.
67. STRIVE will help at least 50 people who are or
recently have been homeless each year. Funding is confirmed for
two years, and it is envisaged that STRIVE will run for three
years but this cannot be confirmed until after next year's General
Election. STRIVE will enable participants to develop literacy,
numeracy and IT skills needed to take full advantage of more mainstream
skills and employment training. It will also support participants
to develop self-confidence and motivation needed to enter and
sustain employment. The Minister, Matthew Hancock, was a supporter
of the pilot:
The idea is to deliver English, maths and IT
skills, but tailored to people who are homeless. The goal is to
have smaller class sizes and a modular structure, because then
if people miss a session it is easier to come in and out of. The
aim of it is to be more attractive to people who are homeless
and to be able to be delivered in a way that works for them.[101]
68. We recognise the fact that homeless people
face huge challenges, and welcome the STRIVE pilot, proposed by
St Mungo's Broadway and Crisis, and funded by the Government.
This is a long-term project which should not be hindered by the
political timetable of elections. We look to all three major political
parties to commit publicly to the STRIVE programme so that long-term
planning can take place beyond the 2015 General Election. Furthermore,
if the pilot is shown to be successful, we recommend that the
pilot is adopted nationwide. In its response, the Government should
give an indication of how the pilot is progressing, and the timescale
for extending the scheme to other parts of the country, as there
is a clear need for adult literacy and numeracy schemes in homeless
hostels throughout the country.
91 Q49 Back
92
Leicester Prison transcript (ALE 83) extract Back
93
Q495 Back
94
Alastair Fruish (ALE 85) extract Back
95
The National Careers Service provides information and advice on
learning, training and work opportunities Back
96
Q104 Back
97
Q78 Back
98
Q259 (Grade 3 means 'requires improvement' and Grade 4 means 'inadequate') Back
99
St Mungo's Broadway transcript (ALE 80) extract Back
100
Q102 Back
101
Q257 Back
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