This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New guidance on community learning
28/01/2003
New guidance on how the public sector, working with voluntary sector partners, could provide more effective learning and development support for Scotland's communities was launched today.
Des McNulty, Deputy Minister for Social Justice, said:
"This is an important document which sets out how the Executive wants to see the public sector in Scotland delivering community learning and development in the context of community planning.
"A central theme of the guidance is to encourage community learning and development agencies to focus on disadvantaged individuals, groups and communities. Community learning and development plays a critical role in building social capital and promoting self-help in some of Scotland's most excluded communities. Community-based services are breaking down the barriers to lifelong learning that still exist for far too many.
"The Executive wants to see all communities across Scotland having access to community learning and development support and I believe that this guidance will help contribute to that aim."
The guidance includes, for the first time, national priorities for community learning and development as follows:
- Increasing levels of adult literacy and numeracy, ICT and other learning related to work and life;
- Increasing levels of educational, personal and social development amongst young people;
- Increasing the capacity of communities to tackle issues of concern; and
- Increasing the impact that communities can have upon planning and service delivery decisions.
Community learning and development encompasses the community education and community development ability of public and voluntary agencies - including youth work, community work and community-based adult education.