December FACE (Forum for Access and Continuing Education) e-bulletin
This is the December FACE (Forum for Access and Continuing Education) e-bulletin, offered to policy-makers, researchers, practitioners and others with an interest in access, widening participation and lifelong learning.
- FACE Annual Conference
The FACE annual conference 2008 will be at York St John University and the title of this conference is “Challenging Isolation: the role of lifelong learning”. Go to:http://www.f-a-c-e.org.uk/conferences.html for more information. - Latest FACE Publication
Transformation, Progression and Hope: whatever happened to lifelong learning? The proceedings of the FACE Conference 2006. This 370 page book contains many articles on widening participation and innovative lifelong learning projects, work in local communities, learning at work, and projects to support non-tradition students. To download the list of contents and to order the book go to: http://www.f-a-c-e.org.uk/publications.html - Sound Advice for Writers
Delegates at a recent FACE seminar held at Staffordshire University heard speakers give sound advice about submitting academic papers to peer-reviewed journals, submitting book proposals, and also how to write successful bids for funding.Professor Miriam Zukas of the University of Leeds, who is editor of the journal Studies in the Education of Adults, opened the event with a keynote presentation entitled 'Academic writing: rules of the game'. Miriam began by providing vital information on how to get published and also why journal editors reject papers. Others speakers and workshop leaders included Steve Buchanan of the ESRC, Professor Geoffrey Elliott, editor of the journal Research in Post-compulsory Education, and Dr Gillian Klein of Trentham Books. They agreed with Miriam that it is good practice to contact editors and funding agencies prior to writing a paper/proposal/funding bid to discuss issues to ensure that what they intend to write meets guidelines and is relevant.
The presentations and handouts from this event and previous 2007 FACE seminars are available on the FACE website seminars page: http://www.f-a-c-e.org.uk/seminars.html#presentations
- FACE Networking
Go to: http://www.f-a-c-e.org.uk/networking.html to see FACE members’ networking page. - Other News and 'In the Newspapers'
To see the 2007 Report of the UK’s progress towards the Lisbon Objectives go to the website: http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/nationalreport_en.html and click on UK link.
NEW REPORT: Low social mobility in the UK has not improved in 30 years
Social mobility in the UK remains at the low level it was for those born in 1970, with recent generations of children’s educational outcomes still overwhelmingly tied to their parents’ income, according to the latest Sutton Trust research released recently. To see full report go to: http://www.suttontrust.com/news.asp#a043
Response from newspapers on the Sutton Trust’s latest research:
Brightest poor children do worse than wealthy but dim classmates The Times, December 13, 2007 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article3042864.eceSchool results still depend heavily on class, The Guardian December 13, 2007 http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,2226589,00.html
- HEFCE: Higher education in further education colleges. Outcomes of consultation
Set against the background of changes to the student support and teaching funding regimes, further education White paper 'Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances' and the Leitch review of skills, HEFCE has been working to develop a consistent and coherent policy on the contribution that further education colleges (FECs) make to higher education (HE).In November 2006 HEFCE consulted on its proposals for HE in FEC policy in 'Higher education in further education colleges: consultation on HEFCE policy' (HEFCE 2006/48).
The proposals covered: the distinctive contribution that HE in FECs makes to HE provision overall; the strategic development of HE in FECs; funding and relationships ; Centres for HE Excellence in FECs.
HEFCE commissioned Professor Gareth Parry and Dr Anne Thompson of the University of Sheffield to analyse the responses to the consultation. Almost all of the proposals received very strong support, with the exception of the proposal about capital funding, on which there was no consensus.
To read or download the report go to: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/RDreports/2007/rd17_07/
- New FACE website
FACE web-designer Jim Tate has recently re-designed and updated the website. Go to: http://www.f-a-c-e.org.uk to see the new site, and also to http://www.f-a-c-e.org.uk/members.html to see the benefits of FACE membership.
- New Developments at FACE
Recently, FACE executive members met to discuss ideas to advance the services it offers to members. These include the support of research, the development of publications, events, networking capacity, international partnerships, and growing FE membership. If you feel you’d like to offer ideas for services which would benefit FACE members, please get in touch.