Kiwis Join Celebration of Adult Learning

Kiwis Join World Wide Celebration of Adult Learning

United Nations Week for Adult Learners has been launched by Associate Education Minister Hon Marian Hobbs, with the presentation of two national awards for outstanding contributions to adult and community education and the release of a working party report into adult and community learning.

The UN Week for Adult Learners He Tangata Matauranga (Sept 2-8) is an UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) initiative designed to celebrate the efforts and achievements of adult learners, teachers and providers. The aim is to encourage more adults to access the many learning opportunities available in their communities and to foster communication among those involved in adult learning.

The community-based volunteer literacy programme, the National Association of ESOL Home Tutor Schemes, was presented with an Adult Learners¡¦ Week National Award for its outstanding contribution to adult and community education. Nelson educator Colin Gunn was honoured with the same award.

The ESOL Home Tutor Scheme is a network of 26 ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teaching programmes, many in small centres where there are no other providers of English language tuition, which help bridge the barriers of fear and isolation faced by new residents in a new land.

It has 52 full and part-time paid staff and over 3000 volunteer home tutors who every year help around 6 thousand migrants and refugees with a range of skills from learning English, to dealing with the health system and learning how to access community services.

The ESOL Home Tutor Service was set up by social service groups and churches to help the learning needs of non-English speaking migrants who could not easily access formal classes. It has been running for 28 years.

Initially funded by charitable donations and local grants, the scheme obtained government funding in 1980 and it now receives a $2m annual government grant. In terms of funding and activity, the ESOL Home Tutor service is the largest non-government organisation dealing with refugee and migrant issues.

The other Adult Learners¡¦ Week National Award was presented to Nelson adult educator, Colin Gunn.

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Mr Gunn worked for many years at Nelson Polytechnic to promote and support community education and non-formal learning and has been enormously supportive of the adult education sector during its chequered history. He was a member of the Interim Advisory Group on Non Formal Learning in 1984, a member of the Learning for Life Working Party on Adult Education in 1989 and a trustee of the National Resource Centre for Adult Education and Community Learning during its formative years. His strong writing and editing skills were evident in the many publications he worked on including ¡§Seizing the Moment ¡V bringing community ideas into action¡¨. This publication was designed to assist community groups and organisations to manage their affairs and was considered by many to be one of the most useful resources prepared for the sector.

At the Launch of UN Adult Learners¡¦ Week, Marian Hobbs also released the long-awaited report to Government from the Working Group on Adult Education and Community Learning.

Dorothy McGray, the community learning representative on UNESCO New Zealand¡¦s Education Sub Commission, has welcomed the release of the working party report. ¡§Community learning is often referred to as the forgotten fourth sector because in relation to other sectors of education we are unrecognised, unregulated and under-resourced,¡¨ she said.

¡§This has been an area the Government has been slow to address because of other priorities in education. We have waited a long time for a review of non-formal community based education to ensure funding for the sector is more coherently, rationally and equitably distributed.¡¨

Secretary for the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO, Elizabeth Rose, said that although many thousands of New Zealanders and other around the world are involved in adult and community education, it¡¦s hoped the UN Week for Adult Learners will make more people aware of the fun and importance of life-long learning.

Over the next five days there will be ceremonies in towns and cities throughout the country as local awards are presented to outstanding adult learners and educators in recognition of their achievements.

Media representatives are invited to attend the launch of UN Adult Learners Week on Monday 3 September at the National Resource Centre for Adult and Community Learning, 192 Tinakori Road, Wellington at 4pm. Refreshments will be provided.

For further information regarding this release, please contact:

„h Dorothy McGray, Waitakere WEA, tel 09 837 1471; fax 09 837 1475
„h Mary Klaver or Elizabeth Rose, New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO,
Ph 04 475 8462; fax 04 499 1004
„h Nicola Salmond (media consultant for UNESCO NZ) 04 562 6260.
For further information including details of local presentations and events during UN Week for Adult Learners please contact your local office¡K

Northland
Cleve Edwards
Te Aka Whiri Ako o Whangarei
71 Bank St, Whangarei
Ph: (09) 438 2329
Fax: (09) 430 0138
Email: literacy.tawa@xtra.co.nz Manawatu
John Thornley
15 Oriana Place,
Palmerston North
Ph: (06) 356 9681
Fax: (06) 356 9681
Email:
openlearning@xtra.co.nz Taranaki
Jeanne van Gorkom
Taranaki WEA
32 Leach St,
New Plymouth
Ph/Fax: (06) 758 0960
Email:
taranaki.wea@clear.net.nz Nelson
Carol Greenall
87 Aranui Rd, Mapua
Nelson
Ph: (03) 540 2287
Auckland
Alan Addison
Auckland Community Learning Centre
Poronui St, Mt Eden, Auckland
Ph: (09) 638 8780
Fax: (09) 638 9696
Email: alan@aclc.co.nz Gisborne
Nisbet Smith
Tairawhiti Polytechnic
PO Box 640, Gisborne
Ph: (06) 868 8068
Fax: (06) 868 6606 Mobile: 025-327 242
Email: nisbet
@tairawhiti.ac.nz Westcoast
Diane Moss/Marja Kneepkens
Community Education
Training Centre
PO Box 174, Westport
Ph: (03) 789 6681
Waitakere
Margaret Stewart
Rutherford College
Kotuku Street,
Te Atatu Peninsula
Waitakere City
Ph/Fax: (09) 834 4099
Email: commed
@rutherford.school.nz
Waikato
Caryl Ginever
Fraser High School
PO Box 15183, Hamilton
Ph: (07) 847 9044x2
Fax: (07) 847 9042
Email: cginever@Fraserhigh.school.nz Wanganui
Wigs Arathoon/Rosemary Tennant
Wanganui Community Education Service
PO Box 346, Wanganui
Ph: (06) 345 4717
Canterbury
Joyce Sylvia (NRC Trustee)
13 Belfast Road
Belfast
Phone (03)323 7280 /025 588 879
Email:Sylvia@caverock.co.nz Wairarapa
Peter McNeur
Wairarapa REAP
P.O. Box 442, Masterton
Ph: (06) 377 1379
Fax: (06) 377 1378
Email:
petermcneur@waireap.org.nz
Bay of Plenty
Sue Hawkins
Otumoetai College
PO Box 8033 Cherrywood, Tauranga
Ph: (07) 576 8904
Fax: (07) 576 8903 Hawkes Bay
Judith Craigie
Napier Boys High School
Chambers St, Napier
Ph: (06) 835 2430
Fax: (06) 833 5909
Dunedin
Mal Thompson
Kaikorai Valley College
Kaikorai Valley Road, Dunedin
Ph: (03) 453 1280
Fax: (03) 453 1602
OR

Contact your nearest:

„h REAP
„h Literacy Aotearoa Scheme
„h W.E.A.
„h Skill NZ Office
„h ESOL Home Tutor Scheme
„h Te Ataarangi
Taupo
Val Hoogerbrugge
ESOL Home Tutoring
P.O. Box 1208, Taupo
Ph: (07) 378 8853
Fax: (07) 378 4249
Wellington
Teresa McCrombie
Hutt Valley High School
P.B. 31909
Hutt City
Ph: (04) 568 4565
Fax: (04) 566 7778 Southland
Nellie Garthwaite
c/- The Courtyard Learning Centre
22D Kelvin St, Invercargill
Ph/Fax: (03) 214 5224
Email: courtyardl.cehyper.net.nz

National Co-ordinating Group

Alan Addison Joan Ashworth Emma Frost Dorothy McGray
Auckland Community Edgewater Community Education Te Whau Literacy W.E.A.
Learning Centre 32 Edgewater Drive, C /- 47 Pooks Rd, 9 Henderson Valley Road
Poronui St, Mt Eden Pakuranga Ranui Henderson
Auckland Auckland Auckland Auckland
Ph: 09 638 8780 Ph: 09 576 4731 Ph: 09 820-5015 Ph: 09 837 1471
Fax: 09 638 9696 Fax: 09 576 9527 Fax: 09 820-6915 Fax: 09 837 1475
Email: alan@aclc.co.nz Email: ecep@bigfoot.com Email: tewhaulit@xtra.co.nz Email: waitakere.wea@xtra.co.nz

Launch UN Week for Adult Learners

National Resource Centre for Adult and Community Learning (NRC)

192 Tinakori Road

Thorndon, Wellington

Monday 3 September 2001

4.00pm

Programme

4pm Mihi (Piripi Daniels)

Welcome (Peter McNeur, NRC Chairperson)

4.30pm Address ¡V Mary Jane Rivers, Chairperson, Working Group on Adult and Community Education

4.45pm Launch of Report from Working Group on Adult Education and Community Learning by Associate Minister of Education, the Hon Marian Hobbs

Presentation of Awards by Associate Minister of Education, the Hon Marian Hobbs

„h National Awards for services to adult learning

Recipient: To an individual: Colin Gunn

Recipient: To an organisation: National Association of ESOL Home Tutors Scheme Inc

5pm Afternoon tea

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