Venue: Birkbeck College London
Date: 30th April
Price: £30 UCU members trade unions, learners/students and voluntary organisations, all others £50

With an ageing population and facing a severe economic recession adult learning has never been more vital. Yet government policies seem only to recognise economic rationale for adult learning, and its policies seem to limit adult learning rather than expanding it.

UCU members across all the sectors of post-compulsory education are at the heart of adult learning, this one day conference will discuss a UCU vision for adult learning with presentations from leading theorists and practitioners on the current and future state of adult learning.

For further details and an application form, contact Dtaubman@ucu.org.uk or visit the UCU website www.ucu.org.uk where there is an on-line application form.

CALL Bulletin 10 is now available to download. This edition focuses on the a report on lobby of parliament and where next for the CALL campaign. Download the bulletin here: CALL Bulletin 10 (doc, 364kb). Alternatively we have also made a version without graphics for a smaller file that is easier to distribute via email: CALL Bulletin 10 no graphics (doc, 59kb).

Please distribute the Bulletin as widely as possible.

Both major national education supplements covered the CALL lobby in this week’s editions.

The Education Guardian ran a story called “Hasta la vista, Denham” which featured extended coverage of the question and answers session with the minister as well as the lobby as a whole. 

The TES FE Focus also reported on the lobby, printing a photo of the lobby on its cover (picture ot the right) and a letter from David Blunkett on adult learning called “Instil a wartime spirit to overcome the odds“.

UPDATE: The Times Higher Education Supplement has also covered the lobby in it’s article “Denham booed over adult education budget cuts“.

We know many of you took photos and video at the lobby and we would love to share them with everyone. Please send you photos (or links to them if they are stored online) to robert.whitaker@nus.org.uk.

If you attended this week’s lobby of parliament or if you have been following the campaign and wish to share your ideas, we want to hear your views.

We need your feedback on how you felt the lobby went, what your MP said about the campaign and what direction you would like the campaign to take from now on.

Please take a moment to download and complete the feedback form (doc, 84kb) and email it to robert.whitaker@nus.org.uk.

Yesterday more than 400 students, teachers and people from all walks of life descended on Parliament to have their voice heard on adult learning.

The CALL campaign organisers would like to thank everybody who attended and the many people who supported the day from a far as well. We would especially like to thank all those who agreed to speak and help us understand and articulate the complex issues that lie beneath the campaigns core messages.

Already we are seeing a surge of support from MPs as a result of the lobby, with 144 of them having now signed our EDM.

Please keep checking this website as we build a record of the day, including photos, speeches and press coverage as it emerges.

Tomorrow (25 February) more than 300 CALL campaigners will descend of Westminster for the CALL lobby of Parliament. 

Both the Secretary of State John Denham and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Further Education Siôn Simon will be attending and we have a great programme of speakers from across the education sector and beyond as well as plenty of time for attendees to have their say.

• The CALL early day motion has now been signed by 125 MPs of all parties, check here to see if your MP has signed.
• There are still a few spaces on couches from the south west and Liverpool, click here for more details.
• If you live in the Leeds area and can’t make the lobby tomorrow students at Swathmore College are holding a event in support of the campaign, full details on the flyer. 

Attendees should join the lobby at the Emmanuel Centre, 9-23 Marsham Street, London SW1P 3DW (google map of location).  Closest tube stations are Westminster (Jubilee, Circle and District lines) and St James Park (Circle and District lines).

CALL Bulletin 9 is now available to download. This edition focuses on the lobby of Parliament on Wednesday the 25 February. Download the bulletin here: CALL Bulletin 9 (doc, 624kb). Alternatively we have also made a version without graphics for a smaller file that is easier to distribute via email: CALL Bulletin 9 no graphics (doc, 64kb).

Please distribute the Bulletin as widely as possible, see you on Wednesday!

A video made to help explain the issues in adult education and promoting the lobby on the 25th February.