Newbattle Abbey College hosted the National Adult Education Conference on 20 March 2013.  Eighty delegates from a wide range of settings (including Community Learning and Development (CLD), Local Authorities, Higher Education, Further Education, Trade Unions, Learners’ Groups and Adult Education Networks) gathered to discuss the current state of affairs in Adult Education in Scotland, and to create an action plan. 

The activities of the day included a keynote speech by Michael Russell MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, presentations on the policy landscape of Adult Education, as well as on effective community Adult Education initiatives.  Small group workshops were also held, which engaged participants in dialogue on the challenges facing adult education in Scotland. At the conclusion, there was strong support for:

1. working on a national adult education strategy;
2. undertaking a national overview of Adult Education provision in Scotland; and
3. looking into establishing a broadly-based, cross-sectional Adult Education body to provide a national voice for the sector. 

There was great energy at the conference, and it promises to be a timely unifying call for the Adult Education sector in Scotland.

Full report featured below and attached...