The Learning Divide: Study of Participation in Adult Learning in the United Kingdom

The learning divide reports on a survey funded by the department for Education and Employment, which was carried out for NIACE by the Gallup Organisation in early 1996. The survey highlights the full scale of the challenge which the UK faces in involving all its people in the learning society, and shows that the learning divide between the learning- rich and the learning-poor is growing. It shows that: three in five of all adults have not taken part in adult learning in the last three years; more men than women are currently learning or have been recent learners; age is a barrier to participation; social class continues to be the key discriminator in participation; adults who are not in work have almost half the levels of participation as those in work or seeking work; length of initial education is still the best single predictor of participation in adult learning; there are major national and regional variations. The report includes the first full study of participation in Northern Ireland and, with national studies of Scotland and Wales, gives the most comprehensive coverage of the United Kingdom. The learning divide is packed with interesting information, and will be important to practitioners, researchers, education activists and policy-makers.

Table of Contents:
Contents; Foreword; Key findings; List of tables and figures; Chapter 1. Introduction; Chapter 2. The background to the research; Chapter 3. Current and recent participation; Current and recent participation in learning as measured by the 1996 survey; Participation in learning, by social class and employment status; Participation in learning, by terminal age of education; Participation in learning, by age group; Participation in learning, by nation and region; Chapter 4. Comparisons over time; Comparisons between current and recent measures of overall participation; Comparison of participation in learning in the labour force age groups between 1993 and 1996; Patterns of participation in learning: demographic comparisons over time; Current/recent learning by social class, 1990 and 1996 compared; Geographical patterns of learning: 1990 and 1996 compared; Chapter 5. Future learning intentions; Plans to take up learning in the future; Future intentions to take up learning, by nations of the UK and regions of England; Future intentions to take up learning, trends over time; Chapter 6. Subjects of current or recent learning; The changing environment; Subjects of learning; Subjects of study among labour force age groups; Reasons for learning; Chapter 7. Information and advice about learning opportunities, length of learning and its location; Source of information about learning; Location of learning; Length of study; Chapter 8. The importance of qualifications; The National Targets for Education and Training; Qualifications aimed for; Qualifications attained; Chapter 9. The learning environment; Funding of learning; Travel time and distance; Reasons for giving up courses; Other barriers to learning; People's individual environment; Chapter 10. Attitudes to learning and future plans for learning; Attitudes to learning; Future plans for learning; Subjects of future study; Marketing models; Chapter 11. Participation in arts and crafts; The use of leisure time; Use of cultural and community facilities; Art galleries and museums; Enjoyment of particular arts and crafts; Participation in arts and crafts; Progression in learning arts and crafts; Chapter 12. Northern Ireland - perspectives; Current and future participation; Patterns of study; Information and advice; Motivation and qualifications; Non-participation; Attitudes towards adult learning; Conclusions; Chapter 13. Wales - perspectives; A different context? Competitiveness, partnership and social exclusion in Wales; The findings in Wales; General conclusions; Identifying problems: economic, social and cultural; Resources of hope in Wales; Chapter 14. Scotland - perspectives; Introduction and background; The 1996 survey; Continuing Research Issues; References; Appendix 1. Gallup Omnibus Survey on Lifelong Learning - Technical Appendix; Appendix 2. Notes on the tables; Appendix 3. A guide to socio-economic class; Appendix 4. Regions; Appendix 5. Analysis of weighted and unweighted samples; Appendix 6. The questionnaire