Introduction

The organization of learning opportunities for adults has become a major area of policy debate, and has led to a steady stream of books, articles and newspaper reports. In contributing to this stream, we have focused on three major areas of debate: the issue of who has access to what forms of learning; the relationship between education, training and the economy; and the role of community-based adult learning in changing power relations and improving quality of life. Other topics have been excluded, such as health education and leisure pursuits. This is not to devalue their importance; we simply do not have the space to encompass the full depth and breadth of opportunities for adult learners.