Roles, Responsibilities, and Relationships in Lifelong Learning
The lifelong learning sector is relatively new and is born out of a governmental commitment to encourage the participation of adults into learning whether as part of a further education course or a work-based training programme (Hitching, 2008). Lifelong learning is to promote inclusion whilst raising the standards of adult education after the current school-leaving age of 16. Lifelong learning refers to learners in sixth form education right through to adults learning in a community-based setting. The variety of learners and the skills and abilities of those learners presents a range of challenges for a teacher entering into the profession and so it is importa nt to understand what these are. It is also important to understand what is expected of a teacher in this environment and what their role is, as well as what their responsibilities are to their students.
The role of a teacher in the lifelong learning sector should be to adhere to the relevant codes of practice and regulatory requirements that surround the profession. Naturally the teacher should be appropriately qualified and have a licence to practice. They should also provide the resources and equipment that is needed to aid their teaching. There is also a set of legislative Acts that surround the profession, which include the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Data
Protection Act 2010, the Equality Act 2010, and the Every Child Matters policy which sets out specific outcomes that the teacher and institution should aim to achieve for their students
(Treasury, 2003). In terms of lifelong learning, it may seem peculiar to refer to a policy that deals with this children but ECM deals with children up to the age of 18 and as compulsory education currently ends at 16 years of age, there are children who participate in what is now described as lifelong learning whether this be in an apprenticeship scheme or further education college.
In terms of the responsibilities of the teacher in regard to their students, there are a number of requirements that must be met. The teacher should consider the abilities of the learners in their group and provide appropriate lesson plans that will facilitate their learning (www.bcu.ac.uk,
2011). They should understand their learners and form appropriate relationships whilst managing behavioural challenges accordingly. They should be able to identify any additional learning needs faced by the students they are teaching and provide adequate support that will help the learner overcome any barriers to their learning. The teacher must be able to motivate their students to encourage their learning and they should be able to assess their own personal successes as well as learn from their weaknesses (Tummons, 2007).
A teacher must also promote equality. At a national level this might refer to promoting a greater social equality by providing people with the skills to find work and sustain employment, which may provide greater chances for social mobility (Field, 2010). Equality is also an issue that must be addressed in the classroom, however, and it is the responsibility of the teacher to value diversity and promote equality amongst their students. Every Child Matters provides a framework for protecting and supporting young people in education whilst the Special
Educational Needs and Disabilities Act 2001 states that disabled students have the right not to be discriminated against whilst in education (www.gov.uk, 2001). Practically speaking, the teacher must ensure that they create a lesson plan that does not preclude the involvement of children with special educational needs or physical disabilities but fosters their inclusion. Any additional support that is required by those children must be put in place, which may require the support of the Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator and Additional Learning Support. In terms of
