There are many reasons why people are remote
from education and learning. The most common
denominator is social exclusion, based
on barriers such as low educational and social
status, a lack of social contacts and physical or
psychological problems. Disadvantaged groups
are under-represented in adult learning in all
European Member States. They often feel excluded
from existing learning offers, are unaware
of existing learning opportunities and do
not know how to participate.
Studies have shown as well that educational institutions
lack tailored approaches to reach those
who are remote from education. They don’t know
how to develop and implement adult learning offers
fitting the needs of disadvantaged groups. It
is a key need therefore to develop and implement
new approaches, which take into account the diversity
of target groups and complement existing
adult learning programmes with outreaching and
empowering elements.
Educational outreach is a way to reach disadvantaged
groups and to develop – preferably in
cooperation with these groups – tailored adult
learning approaches. A number of key principles
will help adult learning providers to develop
an effective and inclusive learning offer:
Be aware of the diversity and the specific
problems and needs of disadvantaged groups
Reaching out to disadvantaged groups implies
that adult learning providers know which groups
are under-represented in their learning offer. This
is not always the case. There is a variety of people,
who are currently not participating in learning
offers, such as migrants, illiterate, low-skilled
people, (long-term) unemployed, (ex-)offenders,
drug users and people with mental health problems.
All these groups do have specific problems
and needs.
Being aware of the diversity of the target group
and their specific problems and needs will help
to reach out to these groups. Adult learning providers
will better understand where to find them,
how to reach them and how to involve them in
their learning programmes.
Include the voices of disadvantaged
and under-represented groups
The development of outreaching strategies is irrevocably
linked with the active involvement of
the target group. Including the target group voice,
their knowledge and their understanding in the
development of alternative approaches will not
only contribute to the effectiveness and the quality
of new learning offers, but will also increase the
credibility of the learning providers and the willingness
of the target group to participate. There
are numerous examples of outreach strategies, in
which the target groups function as peer, mediator
or outreach worker. Target group involvement
helps to reach under-represented groups and empowers
learners at the same time.
Analyse and remove barriers
Knowing which specific target groups need to be
addressed does not automatically lead to tailored
learning approaches. Adult learning providers
need to know and analyse the specific barriers,
which keep people from participating in adult
learning. This can be legal frameworks, lacking
financial resources, social denominators and
physical or psychological barriers. Knowing what
exactly creates exclusion will support the development
and/or transfer of strategies, which can
remove these barriers.
Make use of easy language
A key for providing customised learning offers is
to create, design and execute these offers in the
most understandable way possible. The need for,
and use of easy language is substantial for accessibility
and successful learning. Easy language helps
different target groups, e.g. people with learning
disabilities, non-native language speakers, persons
with limited reading skills or people who suffer
from dementia. The following basic rules for all
communication and written material for learners
helps to ensure comprehension:
➜ Make use of simple words and avoid the use of
foreign words.
➜ Try to find verbs instead of nouns.
➜ Write and speak in short sentences.
➜ Do not use abbreviations and/or figures of
speech.
➜ Write concretely. Avoid abstract language.
➜ Avoid high figures and percentage values. Use
comparisons.
➜ Create options for multi-channel perceptions,
for example by using pictures, pictograms etc.
➜ Make use of paragraphs and headings.
➜ There should be sufficient contrast between
background and illustrations. Coloured
backgrounds and typefaces should be used
carefully. The typeface should be clear and
fairly large.
➜ Test the material with actual target groups
before publishing it. Only they can say if it is
easy to understand or not.
Build a network of cooperation
Adult learning providers should build up a network
of cooperation, which includes other organisations
and institutions, which are currently not
automatically involved in the field of education.
This might be community centres, mental health
institutions, grass-root organisations and social
services. These services are in direct contact with
disadvantaged groups, know about their specific
problems and needs, and can help to reach out.
Make adult education more attractive
Mainstream learning offers are not automatically
attractive for those who are remote from education.
They might feel uncomfortable due to social
exclusion and individuals may be unaware of
potential benefits. It is important to understand
what exactly is needed to make education more
attractive for under-represented groups. This can
be a certificate, but it can also be the opportunity
to meet others, who are in a similar situation.
Knowing their problems and needs will help to
create learning offers, which are accepted and appreciated
by the target group.
