Northside networks help promote life-long learning

At this stage, most of us are pretty familiar with the term "life long learning" - but what about "the learning network"? This is a more recent concept and one that we're certainly going to be hearing a lot more about in the future. Locally-based learning networks, involving educational institutions, State and community agencies and other organisations, could form the basis of a national initiative to tackle educational disadvantage, suggests DCU's co-ordinator of lifelong learning, Mike Egan. Since last year, he has been involved with the establishment of such an initiative in north Dublin.

The North Dublin Learning Network Initiative developed as a result of co-operation between NorDubCo (the North Dublin Development Coalition), DCU and a number of area partnerships. An earlier NorDubCo report had recommended the establishment of an educational alliance for the area, which would help reduce unemployment and redress inequalities in the education system. According to Deiric O Broin, NorDubCo's chief executive, "the educational system cannot and should not be held solely responsible for the high level of socio-economic inequality or for the level of unemployment in north Dublin". The burden of tackling increasing social exclusion in north Dublin, he says, should not be left to the education sector. Rather, it should involve more inter-departmental co-operation and interaction between public and private sector agencies and organisations. The group has taken as its model a learning network organised by the Glasgow Development Agency. According to Mike Egan, this particular learning network model brings together a range of agencies and institutions involved in the delivery of training and education.

"We're looking at things from the learning, rather than the education or training, perspective," he explains. Instead of confining themselves to their own areas and working in a vacuum, organisations and institutions come together and pool their knowledge. "The benefit is that it allows for interaction between the different agencies. On our network committee, for example, we have representatives of FAS, the area partnerships, community groups and third level. We're taking an integrated service approach to education with the focus on learning." There are two key aspects to the initiative, he says - the sharing of expertise and information and the expanding of educational opportunities. Such an initiative can avoid duplication and therefor reduce wastage and identify gaps in provision.

Earlier this year, the north Dublin network used a learning festival to get its message over to the general public. Its theme - North Dublin Loves Learning - was used to tie in with St Valentine's Day. The week-long education extravaganza attracted up to 1,500 participants. Events, workshops and exhibitions were held in a variety of venues including DCU; the Ballymun Employment Centre; Blanchardstown, Ballymun and Barry (Finglas West) shopping centres, and Mountjoy Prison. The festival included art, music, science and a number of visits - among them, to Dublin Zoo and the Army Equitation School. "We plan to run an expanded festival next year," Egan comments. "It heightened the profile of learning, of art, music, third level and adult education in the area."

The learning network's most recent initiative was a summer school at the Dochas Centre in Mountjoy Prison. "It was discovered that formal education in prison is based on the school year, so there's a big gap between June and September. We decided to run a summer school in the women's prison - nine different modules over a six-week period." Modules included Colour me Beautiful, creative writing, dance, Weight Watchers, jewellery-making, drama and science. According to DCU's Christina Quinlan, writing in Towards a Learning Network, which is being launched tomorrow by Willie O'Dea, Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, the summer school was a worthwhile endeavour. "It brought the two communities, those imprisoned and those outside, closer together," she says.

"Lifelong learning," Egan says, "has often - incorrectly - been regarded as synonymous with adult education. But that's only one aspect of it. The network approach is one that invites people at all levels - first, second and third level - to get involved." Third level cannot be expected to provide access to non-traditional groups single-handed. Without communication and co-operation across all levels it will be very difficult to adopt a successful approach to educational opportunity, he argues. Learning networks, he says, could easily include a broad range of formal and informal providers. If established across the State, they would be in a good position to advise local education boards.