ABSTRACT
Research from academic and institutional sources, over several decades, has shown that participation in all forms of post-compulsory education has a range of potential benefits relevant to health outcomes, such as stimulating further personal development which may provide the opportunity to progress in the labour market, as well as other individual benefits such as increased confidence and self-efficacy. This chapter examines adult education and the impact of austerity on the provision and the need to prioritise lifelong learning in a new national education system. Lifelong learning has a profound impact on individual lives and communities – politically, socially, economically and educationally – yet it remains the ‘Cinderella’ of the education system. The Community Learning budget has helped adults through cultural engagement locally and on a wider societal level, and has dealt explicitly with issues related to health and wellbeing.
