Term 2-05
I read with interest, Cherelle Murphy’s article in the Australian Financial Review (AFR) of February 4 2005. Titled “Budding seniors need to ‘get serious’ about skills”. The article commented on research and opinion from various sources on the looming skills shortages in Australia.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) says about 4% of older Australians (45–65) were enrolled in a course of study in 2004. According to Louise Rolland who is Chief Executive of Business Work and Aging and professor of aging at Swinburne University, this is a doubling of the participation rate over the past decade.
Sydney Community College’s history validates this claim, having had very significant growth in enrolments over the past two decades.
It is heartening to see such a trend, especially as the often-mentioned “baby boomers” head for retirement.
However, in the ARF article, Professor Rolland is quoted as saying that, “non-vocational education and training is a luxury that Australia cannot afford”.
My own view is that such a statement is wrong and her view on the purpose of learning is narrow. Adult learning is life wide, not just work long.
The value of education as a “good” in itself is a proposition many educationalists have had difficulty convincing Government to adopt. Also, the argument that vocational skills are gained in many settings, not only vocational courses, has been even less welcome as Governments of both colours have continued to actively promote a very narrow definition of vocational education and training.
There is no clearer example of this than in NSW where funding for educational activities not tightly defined as vocational education and training has recently been curtailed or withdrawn. This situation is constantly reinforced as the contest over limited Government dollars continues. Australian Governments are simply not willing to support these called “non-core activities”.
Education and learning should never be viewed as a luxury, but rather as a pillar of sustainability as pursuit of learning adds considerable value to both the individual and the society. It should never be viewed purely in terms of how it can be measured for its usefulness in the work place. If we consider learning within the following broader context we can allow for many differing approaches.
“Learning is a process of change in patterns of thinking, valuing, feeling and acting resulting from an interaction between the individual and his or her environment. Broadly speaking learning may be described as perceiving, organising and reorganising, thus enabling the individual to make meaning of the world around him or her.”
The critical skill of “making meaning” is not something that can be got from an entirely narrow and vocationally focussed system.
The tangential outcomes of education, at all levels are often as important as the immediate measurable outcomes. The “social capital” argument has for many years indicated the intrinsic worth of education in the building of a civil society. In a recent consultation paper , educational researcher Peter Kearns noted that:
“...there is now greater recognition of the wider benefits of learning which can be achieved in a range of sectors such as health, welfare… The wider benefits of learning across sectors have been examined by the Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning at London University. The research of the centre has shown that:
• education and learning helps people to adapt to change;
• the sustaining effect of education on personal lives and the social fabric of communities is important;
• education increases self awareness and self understanding and enhances communication in communities;
• family learning helps sustains families and can lead to better parenting;
• education and learning can have a beneficial impact on mental health and can support psychological health in ways that benefit the individuals, families and communities;
• learning enables people to maintain their employability throughout life in a world of constant change.
• learning strengthens social networks and social capital in communities, organizations and firms and fosters social cohesion;
• learning enables people, enterprises and communities to be creative and innovative.”
In all of the above, I am not arguing for a down grading of vocational education and training but rather a re-thinking of the way in which we classify and encourage all forms of education and learning.
Garry John Traynor
Principal
garry.traynor@scc.nsw.edu.au
The views expressed in this editorial are those of the author.
