Students With Severe Learning Difficulties in General Colleges

Students With Severe Learning Difficulties in General Colleges of Further Education. Are we going round in circles?

Critical Review of Literature Small–scale Preliminary Investigation Based on the hypothesis that despite radical changes to the special schools sector and to the construction of further education itself, provision in colleges of further education for these most vulnerable students, is unfocussed, at best circuitous and at worst, leads individuals back into dependence, unemployment and social segregation

The Aim of This Research Is to Reopen the Debate Research in this field seems to have effectively ceased, for reasons which are unclear but, the educational community appears to have lost interest in this group of learners.

Aims of the Preliminary Investigation. ¬To explore the arena in order to discover: ¬Why ofsted is so critical? ¬What do colleges see as the problem and how did it get like this? ¬A research question for further in depth investigation.

What Did the Literature Reveal? Missed Opportunities and Misunderstandings ¬ Provision has existed for 20 years and has largely been static - based in life and basic skills and mini enterprise (non vocational - discrete) ¬ Critical commentary rife in 1980’s focussed on equal ops, entitlement, ceased in 1990’s ¬ Incorporation’s new funding methodology resulted in ‘pseudo’ vocational courses which compounded segregation ¬ Tomlinson’s inclusive learning although did much for other SLDD did not affect provision for this group of learners ¬ The work has gone underground and is largely ignored yet ofsted reports indicate weaknesses in provision which could put it at risk

What Did the Interviews Reveal? • Provision remains discrete and unconnected to vocational framework learning is not always relevant or linked to learners aspirations • Opportunities for progression to independent living and work are poor or non existent • Links with connexions and supported employment providers are inadequate Excellent provision is rare but Where it exists it is characterised by: • Value and status of learners as equals in student community • Curriculum led by learners gaols and aspirations • Charismatic and committed teaching • Effective support for risk taking

What Next? There is a clear and indisputable need for academics and educationalists to recommit to the energy that was evident in the research and writing of the 1980’s and early 1990’s.

Giving the Learners a Voice • As a starting place, research might focus on listening and allowing students with severe leaning difficulties a voice with which to explore their hopes and aspirations in terms of learning, employment, leisure, living and relationships and to set these against the reality of the learning programmes and individual targets set by colleges. It could then discover the level of coherence and ‘fit’ or mismatch

Carol Tennyson December 2002 ‘A longitudinal study is needed to follow up these learners who have left further education in the last five years. Such a study would help us to find out what the impact their learning in further education is having in their lives as adults with learning difficulties. For many I fear the answer may well be precious little, but I live in hope of being proved wrong’.

The Best of the Past (Johnstone 1988 Learning That Was. . ¬Negotiated ¬Students centred ¬Collaborative ¬Mediated ¬Experiential ¬Concrete

Towards the Future Learning That Is. . ¬Holistic ¬Set in inclusive philosophy ¬Rejecting of the medical model ¬Set in learning theory which Takes the best from the past from the behaviourists, cognitivists, developmental theorists and the humanists …and what about neuroscience?