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March/April 2022
Dear Colleagues, In this newsletter, we feature some important events and ways you can become more involved in the network. Firstly, our Sharing Insights - Australian Learning Cities: global to local - local to global Webinar ( May 4, 4 pm AEST). This is the first time that Australian Cities that are members of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) or aspiring to become members have come together, with UNESCO UIL and Adult Learning Australia, to share good practise ideas. Make sure you register for this event. Secondly, Lara Pugh, Leader Learning City, City of Wollongong, is facilitating ALCN Friday Forums for practitioners. Make sure you join and share ideas about mapping learning assets, evaluating outcomes and localising the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The first meeting is Friday 6 May 3 pm (AEST). Thirdly, our AGM is on 17 May, at 2 pm (AEST). I will send papers to those members who wish to attend one week before the AGM. In addition, the coordinators of the Global Learning Festival (GLF) are looking to expand the reach of this year's celebration. Also, find out about the Sustainability Conference (May 11 and 12) being hosted by the City of Canning, and the Learning for Earning Festival (May 25 and 16). Please let us know about stories or events that you want to highlight in our forthcoming newsletters. With my best wishes for a restful and peaceful Easter break. Leone
Dr Leone Wheeler
Hon. CEO
Australian Learning Communities Network
Website: https://alcn.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aus.alcn
+61 (0) 456 038 236 Email: [email protected]
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_____________________________________________________ ALCN and ALA Webinar
Sharing Insights - Australian Learning Cities: global to local - local to global.....
When: Wednesday 4th May @ 4pm AEST; 8am CEST
Duration: 90 minutes
Cost: Free
A learning city promotes lifelong learning for all and helps lay the foundation for sustainable social, economic, and environmental development.
Explore the principles and features of learning cities, learning communities, and learning municipalities in Australia and globally in this free online session.
How are communities faced with turbulent times adapting and learning from each other to build healthy and resilient cities through learning to contribute to the UN Sustainability Goals?
Hear from the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (Hamburg – Germany), and councils from across Australia, including the award-winning learning cities – Wyndham City Council, Melton City council; Circular Head Council and aspiring learning cities, City of Canning and Wollongong City Council. They will share their experiences and insights on building healthy and resilient communities through learning and how they share knowledge and good practices on a local, national, and global scale.
The programme is available here.
This webinar is free to attend. Secure your spot by registering here
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ALCN Friday Forums!!!
Sign up to this Community of Practice NOW
Join your ALCN colleagues from Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales for an informal discussion on different aspects of building a learning city.
Four themes have been identified as topics of interest over four sessions:
- Friday 6 May 3-4 pm:
What do learning cities do? Exploring learning city initiatives
- Friday 3 June 3-4 pm:
Mapping lifelong learning assets in your organisation and city
- Friday 1 July 3-4 pm:
Evaluating the efforts, outcomes and impact of learning city/lifelong learning initiatives
- Friday 5 August 3-4 pm: Localising the Sustainable development Goals for your learning city
Each session will encourage participants to share their different approaches, the challenges they face and their wins. Come join in the conversation!
Email Lara Pugh Project Leader Learning City at Wollongong City Council [email protected] if you’d like to participate.
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AGM/ Executive Meeting
Date: 17 May 2022
Time: 2 pm
Location: Online
All members of the ALCN are invited to our Annual General Meeting. To attend and/or contribute to our Executive Committee please contact Leone Wheeler (email: [email protected]) for an Agenda, copies of the Annual Report and Financial Reports as well as the link to the meeting.
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Get involved in the Global Learning Festival for 2022!!!
The Global Learning Festival (GLF), returning in November 2022, seeks to provide unity and connection to communities all over the world. Throughout 2020 and 2021 the festival has welcomed learners from all over the world of all ages to participate in online events covering a myriad of topics.
Festival organisers are looking to expand the reach of this celebration by inviting you to be involved in the 2022 festival.
Get in touch with festival organisers if you or your organisation would like to deliver an online event on your choice of topic*.
*Note: festival organisers reserve the right to approve or deny an event based on its appropriateness for our audience.
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Report of the UNESCO International Commission on Futures of Education Paper
Reimagining our Futures Together:
A New Social Contract for Education
Some perspectives and questions for discussion
by Peter Kearns, AM
UNESCO and lifelong learning This report follows a line of important UNESCO reports on education and lifelong learning. The best known are the Faure report Learning to be (1972) and the Delors report Learning: the treasure within (1996). The Delors report is best known for the four pillars of education – learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together, and learning to live with others, and learning to be. These broadened the objectives of education in important ways. Reimagining our Futures Together The latest, important UNESCO report on education and learning was released in November 2021 after an extensive enquiry over a year and a half by the UNESCO International Commission on the Futures of Education. It followed the earlier global reports with the objective to rethink the role of education at key moments of social transformation (2). The report may be read on the UNESCO website ( https://en.unesco.org/futuresofeducation/ ). Some key themes 1. The world is in a state of crisis and needs to change course The survival of humanity, human rights and the living planet are at risk (8) If the report teaches us one thing, it is this. We need urgent action to change course because the future of people depends on the future of the planet, and both are at risk. (v). 2. A new social contract for education is needed The report proposes a new social contract for education – one that aims to rebuild our relationships with each other, with the planet, and with technology. A new social contract for education needs to allow us to think differently about learning and the relationship between students, teachers, knowledge, and the world. (3) 3. Redefining the purposes of education. A new social contract for education must be anchored in two fundamental principles: the right to education and a commitment to education as a public societal endeavour and a common good. (11). 4. We need to act together and reimagine our future together This act of reimaging means working together to create futures that are shared and interdependent. (2). The potential of engaging humanity in creative futures together has never been greater. (7). 5. We need to use technology in new creative ways There is tremendous transformative potential in digital technology, but we have not yet figured how to deliver on these many promises. (3). 6. Learning throughout life in many ways should be promoted. We should enjoy and expand the educational opportunities that take place throughout life and in different cultural and social spaces. (4) 7. Fresh approaches to pedagogy is needed in improving education
Pedagogy should be organised around principles of cooperation, collaboration, and solidarity. (4)
8. Curricula needs broader relevant objectives
Curricula should emphasize ecological, intercultural, and interdisciplinary learning that supports students to access and produce knowledge while also developing their capacity to critique and apply it. (4)
9. New models of economic success are needed that support a just sustainable future
Climate and environmental disasters are accelerated by economic models depending on unsustainable levels of resource use. Economic models that prioritize short–term profits and excessive consumerism are tightly linked with excessive individualism, competitiveness, and lack of empathy that characterize too many of our societies around the globe. (8)
This is a personal selection of important themes in the UNESCO report. There is much else in the report that merits careful study and discussion. I have listed below some innovative approaches that are currently addressing a number of these themes. There is much that networks of learning cities and communities can do to reimagine our future in collaborative ways, and then taking steps to build a just sustainable future.
Questions for discussion
- What can learning cities do to contribute to addressing the big issues identified in the UNESCO report.
- What contribution can learning cities make to the development of a new social contract for education?
- How can learning cities use technology in creative new ways?
- Can learning cities make a distinctive contribution in the transition to a longevity society with ageing populations?
- Do you agree that new models of economic success are needed that support a just sustainable future? What steps can learning cities and communities take?
- What distinctive contribution can networks of learning cities and communities, such as the ALCN and the UNESCO GLCN, make in addressing the big issues identified in the UNESCO Reimagining our futures together?
- How can learning cities and communities be made more creative?
Reference: UNESCO, Reimaging our futures together: a new social contract for education, in Report from the International Commission on Futures of Education. 2021, United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation: Paris, France. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/futuresofeducation/
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Brimbank City Council
The latest newsletter about celebrating learning is out - read about programmes such as Parents as Transition Support; the impact and importance of volunteer support in schools; learning computer skills in Vietnamese; and the Brimbank Learning Futures Jobs and Skills Centre. Read here.
The City of Canning
The City of Canning is holding a Sustainability Conference on May 11 and 12, 2022. The theme of the conference is Changing Your World – showcasing Sustainability Innovations and Technology.
"The Changing Your World Conference is a showcase of innovation in the broader sustainability space, connecting community, innovators, industry, researchers and government; co-creating solutions and celebrating successes."
For more information visit the Conference website here:
Melton City Council
Melton has confirmed that the dates for the Melton Lifelong Learning Festival are Saturday 3 September until Saturday 10 September, inclusive.
Also, the first two UNESCO Learning Cities – the City of Melton and the City of Wyndham will run a combined event as part of both of their festivals this year. This is another initiative that further builds the cohesive and prosperous relationship with Wyndham City Council as a fellow UNESCO Learning City.
Wyndham City Council’s Learning Festival is from 1-7 September – go to https://www.wynlearnfestival.org.au/
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Wyndham City Council
The Learnwest network is again facilitating a free 2-day virtual event designed to help upskill people and look at different pathways to employment from 25 May to 26 May 2022.
You can gain knowledge in starting or changing careers, learn about dominant and emerging industries and discover opportunities for the future!
Find out more here.
Note: The LearnWest Network supports experienced and emerging Learning Community practitioners in the Western Metropolitan Region of Melbourne in a community of practice where lifelong learning drives an increase in the economic and social capacity of our communities. Councils involved include Wyndham, Melton, Brimbank, Hobson's Bay and Mariibynong City Councils.
Cork Learning City, Ireland
Members of the ALCN were invited to take part online in recent Irish Learning City Festivals. This video is from the Cork Learning City highlighting cultural activities in organisations across South Parish that support lifelong learning in the community.
(https://twitter.com/corklearning/status/1513447618147405824?t=_dlFzae_DGXmrva6VddAMg&s=03)
I like the slogan highlighted Anyone who keeps learning stays young!
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News about Learning Cities from UNESCO UIL
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Keep informed about The International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA) which is a UNESCO intergovernmental (Category II) conference for policy dialogue on adult learning and education and related research and advocacy. The conference is held every 12 to 13 years since the 1940s. The Seventh International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VII) will take place in Marrakech, Morocco 15 June to 17 June 2022. Participants will take stock of achievements in adult learning and education, discuss challenges, and develop a new framework for action to make adult learning and education a reality around the world. Read more here.
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Reading of the Month
PASCAL Briefing Paper 20 - Learning with and from Refugees: adult education to strengthen inclusive societies. Imperiale, M.G. and Slade, B. (2022) Learning with and from refugees: adult education to strengthen inclusive societies. Glasgow: CR&DALL/PASCAL. . This three-page document, produced by the Centre for Research and Development in Adult and Lifelong Learning (CR&DLL) and PASCAL International Observatory, discusses the issues of interrupted education in the context of emergencies and humanitarian crisis, leaving millions of primary and secondary school-aged children excluded from education. Adult education, including lifelong, lifewide and informal education can contribute to social change and stability and can be the key to strengthening and rebuilding both the societies affected by the humanitarian crises and the host communities. Read more here. . Australian Reports Sourced from APO:
House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training, Don't take it as read. 2022: Parliament of Australia. This is a report on the inquiry into adult literacy and its importance. 'One in five adult Australians have low literacy and/or numeracy. This means that around three million adults do not have the skills to meet the demands of work and life. The response of Australian governments has largely been to provide programs and funding for adult literacy education to help people find employment and to raise income and productivity. While this perspective is important, there are other reasons why low levels of literacy must be addressed, including to ensure all Australians are able to enjoy their basic economic, social, legal and political rights.' Read more here. Hurley, P., H. Matthews, and S. Pennicuik, Deserts and oases: how accessible is childcare in Australia? 2022: Mitchell Institute. Access to quality childcare is increasingly critical to Australian children, families and the economy. There are many anecdotal reports of families having difficulty finding appropriate childcare services, especially in regional Australia and some parts of our major cities. However, there is a lack of evidence exploring the nature and extent of the problem. This report aims to help to fill this evidence gap by examining access to childcare in Australia. In this report, the researchers are focussing on one type of childcare - centre-based daycare, which is subsidised by the Commonwealth Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and is the service most used by children and families. Read more here. Vij, A., et al., Understanding what attracts new residents to smaller cities. 2022: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute. Retrieved from https://apo.org.au/node/317080 This study uses data visualisation techniques to develop a high-level visual understanding of how migration flows have varied historically across different sub-populations, undertakes a macroeconomic analysis of migration patterns as a function of their local economy, infrastructure and natural environment, and develops a microeconomic model of individual preferences for settlement in different urban and regional centres. Migration and settlement patterns in Australia are driven by a combination of factors relating to population size, location, economy, amenities and the environment. In general, roughly three-quarters of those surveyed by the study are willing to move to a mid-sized city under the right circumstances. On average, respondents perceive mid-sized cities to offer a significantly better quality of life, and large cities to offer better access to employment and education opportunities, and urban amenities. Read more here. Dudgeon, P., et al., Connection to community. 2022: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Connections to community are an important source of resilience for Indigenous Australians. Previous research has shown that being connected to community builds a sense of cultural identity which can reduce suicide. Although clinically based evidence is vital to targeted interventions with at-risk individuals, an understanding of social determinants of suicide is increasingly important in developing prevention strategies, interventions, and initiatives that connect people to community support.
Based on a review of literature from scholarly articles, government reports and grey literature, the authors establish that strong and healthy connections to community protect people from suicide. The paper discusses several protective factors resulting from community connection that work to prevent suicide by strengthening resilience and increasing social and emotional wellbeing. It also identifies approaches that do not work to prevent suicide among Indigenous Australians, gaps in research on this topic and concludes with several recommendations for further research.
Read more here.
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