There are currently exceptional pressures on local authority budgets in the UK, and it can seem almost inevitable that adult and lifelong learning provision is likely to suffer. At the same time, post-compulsory education rarely gets much attention in the UK press, and within that broad category adult and lifelong learning probably gets the least. There may thus be a risk that adult education and lifelong learning in the UK might pass away quietly, without anybody much noticing.

However, there has been some recent correspondence in the UK media about the state (and potential demise) of adult education and lifelong learning. In this Briefing, Professor Mike Osborne, CR&DALL Director, draws on his decades-long experience in the field to contribute to the discussion and make some suggestions for the Scottish context regarding the potential role of universities.