2005 News Releases
| November 2, 2005 |  |
Learning Forum closes with commitment to action
Hancock pledges to move forward on three fronts
Edmonton... Advanced Education and Technology Minister Dave Hancock closed the A Learning Alberta Forum at the Shaw Conference Centre on November 2 and pledged to take forward the input received to chart a new course for advanced learning in Alberta.
The Forum, which brought together 250 Albertans at the Shaw Conference Centre, was designed to help create a vision and framework to guide Advanced Education and Technology into the 21st century. According to Hancock, "The Forum was about direction-setting and transformation and I am impressed by the depth of the discussion around the issues and the hundreds of ideas put forward. There is work to be done but we now can move forward with a common sense of where we're headed and a clear commitment to action."
Hancock said immediate action would be taken in three priority areas:
- Learning foundations - taking more education opportunities to communities, addressing the needs of diverse groups of Albertans, and setting clear targets for improving literacy rates. He suggested a target of cutting Alberta's illiteracy rates in half in the next five years.
- Support for Aboriginal learning - getting on with action and establishing a new Aboriginal education division within the Advanced Education and Technology department to lead Aboriginal education strategies.
- Transforming the advanced learning system - defining role and responsibilities for institutions, allowing them to become world-class in specific areas; putting top priority on research and innovation; expanding the number of graduate students in all areas including social sciences and humanities; and focusing on new ways for tradespeople to learn in their communities.
Specific initiatives include:
- Implementing a common student application system for public post-secondary institutions
- Developing a new tuition fee policy by Spring 2006
- Improving recognition of degrees, prior learning, and transfer of credits
- Adjusting funding formulas to promote collaboration among institutions
- Re-aligning the administrative structure within Advanced Education and Technology to support a new vision
Hancock encouraged all participants to maintain the momentum. "This process will continue," he said. A report on the outcomes to date will be ready by the end of March 2006 and three committees will be established to develop action plans in the three areas noted above.
"Now is our window of opportunity. We must take hold of that potential and make the most of it," said Hancock. "I'm prepared to work with everyone in the room today and with all Albertans to achieve the goal we set - a learning society with the best advanced learning institutions in the country."
Day two discussions focused directly on action and initiatives to achieve the vision of a Learning Alberta. A five-person Panel kicked off the discussion.
Graham Lettner, President of the Student Union at the University of Alberta, identified three areas for action: "horizontal learning" - extending learning opportunities to smaller communities; excellence in collaboration - providing strong leadership and building vibrant partnerships with cities and rural communities; and commitment - reinforcing Alberta's commitment to advanced learning and setting a target of investing 2.5% of Alberta's GDP in advanced learning.
Donna Allan, educator and former President of Lethbridge College, recommended an expanded role for community adult learning councils; a review of credit and non-credit programs and how programs are funded; changes to student finance to reflect the realities of adult learners; and using technology to expand opportunities in rural communities.
Maureen Sanders, Executive Director of the Centre for Family Literacy in Edmonton, called for a focus on literacy, addressing the reality that more than one-third of adult Albertans don't have adequate literacy skills. She suggested a comprehensive literacy campaign, expanded opportunities for adults with low literacy skills, and a family approach to literacy.
Linda Gale, Executive Director of Saamis Immigration in Medicine Hat, focused on the role of community education councils as a portal to learning in communities. She suggested an alternative approach, moving away from a focus on buildings and campuses to learner-driven, community-based education.
Terry Fortin, President of Quality Learning Solutions, Inc. identified key initiatives in Aboriginal education. In his words, there have been lots of studies in Aboriginal education. The question, he said, isn't what to do, it's when to do it. Action includes increasing numbers of Aboriginal people in leadership positions in education, improving information on Aboriginal student performance and participation, establishing a place for First Nations and Métis institutions, and preserving indigenous languages.
Following discussions by participants, a number of key themes emerged:
- Achieving sustainable funding
- Placing a higher priority on literacy
- Taking a major initiative to improve high school completion rates
- Establishing a new framework for Aboriginal education
- Expanding capacity, not just with additional space but also through expanded use of technology
- Increasing opportunities for Advanced Education and Technology and centres of excellence in rural communities
- Investing in social sciences and humanities
- Changing government structures to reduce barriers between departments and levels of government
- Harnessing the potential of the SuperNet and libraries
- Setting bold targets (e.g. all Alberta post-secondary institutions should be in the top five in the country, every parent should be able to read to their child, and Alberta should invest a fixed percentage of GDP in Advanced Education and Technology.)
