ABSTRACT
Until recently, schooling was largely ignored in the adult education literature except where it was identified, usually in passing, as part of the problem. Schools were criticised as conservative, isolated institutions that were teacher rather than learner focused. It was argued that education was too ‘front-ended’ in that policy and resources were over-committed to initial education. The consequences of this are an inadequate emphasis on learning later in life with all the social and economic benefits that this could deliver. In addition to these criticisms, schools have long been condemned for helping to reproduce and even to reinforce socio-economic inequalities of opportunity.1 For many (perhaps optimistic) adult education practitioners, participation in adult education offered an antidote to the ‘problem’ of mainstream provision, offering a second chance to those who had been failed by the school system and in some cases an alternative curriculum and teaching practice designed to challenge mainstream practices and characterised as ‘alternative’ or ‘radical’. These criticisms predate the current focus on lifelong learning.2
