Adult Learning-Not Counted?

Was advised today adult learning should just furlough staff-get rid of non essential staff which actually made us very angry. Angry enough to talk to the most senior person we could, who calmed, soothed, took charge and advised. 

Go back, get more information from them because I don't agree, we need our adults to be educated too, our workforce depends on it.  Not only that our communities need it, we will never achieve our community empowerment aims without adult learning, our children will never benefit from having educated parents, our democracy depends on it and we won't share in the cultural richness of Scotland's resources without it.

Don't take the advice and don't advise anyone to furlough adult education staff-our future needs us to be visionary, to be inclusive and to support people's mental health. I believe in the power of adult learning, I've seen it in my own communities, I've witnessed the transition in peoples lives. Get the information and bring it back to me. This week can you show us how we have supported people to make the greatest transitions in their lives.

Agreeing to take on the challenge this blip is the first in our series-from an older learners' group helping people learn everything from computing, cooking, tai chi, writing to painting, drawing and relaxation techniques. This photo is from their open day late last year-with 200 members there that day benefiting from positive health, mindsets, friendship and contact-thanks folks was great to be there and have the chance to catch up with you this week too.