Content area
Issue Title: Special Issue : New Times, New Voices
Int Rev Educ (2014) 60:581582
DOI 10.1007/s11159-014-9425-1
BOOK REVIEW
By Ann Gravells and Susan Simpson. Learning Matters/Sage, London, 2nd edn, 2012, 190 pp. Further Education and Skills series. ISBN 978-0-85725-849-6 (hbk), 978-0-85725-697-3 (pbk), 978-0-85725-699-7 (e-book)
Anne OGrady
Published online: 21 June 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht and UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning 2014
Arguably, an ultimate endeavour of lifelong learning is to support a society which does not feature social fragility, but one which is built on social justice principles. This is where the area of adult education can contribute signicantly; and where this book can add value to these considerations and discussions. In a developed westernised world where individual accountability and responsibility, and associated economically-driven policy determinants, are increasingly the order of focus for lifelong learning providers, it is nice to see a text which aims to be ambitious of its audience. This book sets out to encourage recognition of the diversity of society; with a seeming aspiration to ensure that those who are engaging with lifelong learning opportunities, predominantly as educators, participate treating all their learners fairly.
This book has been published as part of a series which aims to support practitioners in the lifelong learning sector across England in particular. The chapters are constructed to enable readers to engage with the concepts of equality and diversity, and then go on to consider how these concepts can be applied to practice within the context of the most contemporary policy in the UK the Equality Act 2010 (Great Britain 2010). A range of other contributing, pre-existing policies that informed the development of this Act are provided at the end of the text. Importantly, the authors provide a useful interpretation and application of the legislation for learning environments, although this area of study is somewhat surprisingly optional. Readers are invited to engage with the text in detail through a series of activities; these enable space for critical thought and reection about the particular topic of discussion. The discussion is generally located within the post-16 context of the UK education and lifelong learning sector; although it could be usefully applied to any learning environment. This book is aligned to the
A. OGrady (&)
University of Derby, Derby, UK e-mail: [email protected]
Equality and diversity in the lifelong learning sector
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Professional Standards (LLUK 2007) in place for educators working towards achievement of a qualication in the lifelong learning sector.
The authors have taken a very detailed and complex topic and provided a very user-friendly text in which the reader can engage in order to optimise both their personal understanding of the subject and their professional competence. This has the aim to develop educators practice into one which engages with lifelong learners with a condence that they are adhering to the Equality Act 2010 but, perhaps more importantly, that they are creating learning environments that have equality and diversity as some of the underpinning elements in the construction of their learning environments.
Throughout the text, excellent examples of how to apply the principles of the Equality Act 2010 to the practice of teaching and learning are provided. Readers will also nd the list of abbreviations and acronyms, and the glossary of terms both useful and informative.
The authors discussions provide a good range of both academic and policy sources. Readers are able to dip into the text focusing on a particular area of discussion, as each chapter can be read independently, although there are clear links between each of the book chapters.
One of the challenges of every book is to ensure its relevance and contemporary nature for the contextual eld of focus. It is perhaps disappointing that at the time of publication, the lifelong learning sector in the UK was still undergoing a signicant amount of change following the election in the UK of a new Coalition government in May 2010. Whilst the sector has been rebranded to Further Education and Skills, which is not reected in the title of this book, the information within the book remains contemporary and relevant for the target sector and audience. The book provides the reader with cross-referencing grids to the current Professional Standards to which the text is mapped, as well as links to further reading. However, these Professional Standards are also currently under review.
In summary, this book is an excellent introductory text for those engaged in the lifelong learning sector. It takes the reader on a journey of understanding the relevance and appropriateness of equality and diversity both for the practitioner and the students involved. Essentially, this text is useful for the target audience those working within the UK lifelong learning sector who are seeking qualication to practise in the sector. In terms of a wider international audience, its interest would lie in the range of policy and legislation demands for the lifelong learning sector.
References
Great Britain (2010). Equality Act 2010: Elizabeth II. Chapter 15. Retrieved April 25, 2014, from http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents
Web End =http:// http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents
Web End =www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents .
LLUK (2007). New overarching professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector. London: Lifelong Learning.
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Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht and UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning 2014