ABSTRACT
In a 1989 discussion paper on the potential impact of competence schemes on adult learning, the Unit for the Development of Adult Continuing Education (UDACE) identified a number of concerns and anxieties including the ‘erosion of breadth and quality’ in learning programmes and the loss of professional autonomy on the part of teachers. Recognizing that there may be some benefits to be derived from utilizing a competence model in certain spheres of adult education, there was speculation about whether, in the face of the powerful influence of the NCVQ and the government-backed training lobby, it would be possible for educators to ‘resist or redirect change’ (UDACE 1989:33). Given developments over the last few years, it is now even more urgent that teacher educators address these fundamental issues.
