Interview with Alan Smith #
How in your view does Prison Education fit into the overall picture of adult learning? Are there any significant differences in teaching inside or outside the walls?
Alan Smith: #
- Though there may of course be some differences at first sight, I am really convinced that Prison Education should be seen as an integral part of Adult learning generally. There are several aspects to this. Firstly, there is the human rights aspect. Education is a basic right, and as such enshrined in international conventions and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. It is too often forgotten that this right continues even when someone is in prison.
- Second, Prison Education is a prime example of what Adult learning at its best can give to society. For example:
- Prison Education reaches out to marginalised individuals with negative experience from formal learning at school, providing them with a second chance route to learning, qualifications, and in particular to enhanced self-esteem. That is particularly important, given that prisoners on average have much lower educational attainment levels than those of the community at large.
- Prison Education helps improve basic skills in the extended sense of acquiring all forms of “literacy” needed for active participation in modern society (so not just reading and writing but also numeracy, digital literacy, financial literacy, consumer literacy, promoting a sense of civic awareness and healthy life-styles and so on).
- Furthermore, Prison Education contributes strongly to attaining other social goals such as combatting radicalisation, tackling substance abuse and of course reducing re-offending, the “price” of which in human, social and economic terms is astronomical.
- And third, Prison Education is an area where many of the key features of modern Adult learning strategies can be put to best effect:
- Developing innovative approaches to non-formal learning;
- “Placing the learner at the centre” instead of regarding adult education as a “take it or leave it” offer;
- Finding creative and effective means of recognising non-formally acquired knowledge, skills and competences, and:
- Putting in place the guidance and counselling services needed to make the learner-oriented strategies a real success.
All these are crucial not just for Prison Education, but also for Adult learning as a whole. And there are certainly things which Adult Education in general can learn from Education in the context of prisons.
All this is vital not only for Prison Education, but also for Adult Education in general. Furthermore, it´s often forgotten but should be clearly acknowledged: There are many things which Adult learning as a whole can learn from the provision of adult learning opportunities for prisoners!
