WEA Approach to
Education and Learning
Background
The WEA is committed to adult education for social purpose and to
achieve social justice. This commitment is well known and rightly cherished
both within the Association and by our partners and funders across
communities, local authorities and employers. However, it is important
to set out clearly what this commitment means in practice and how we as
an organisation see this commitment translated into teaching practice in
WEA classrooms.
This will help tutors, students and education staff and it will inform tutor
development. It will also help the WEA deliver our objectives in a climate in
which funding is increasingly moving towards an outcome based approach.
The WEA organises its education provision and identifies its impact across
four key themes. They are Culture, Health and Wellbeing, Community
Engagement and Employability. The themes are equally important and
represent some of the most fundamental needs of people living in Britain’s
diverse communities. Each theme provides a context within which the WEA
offers its wide and varied curriculum. Over time it is anticipated that most
tutors who teach a subject regularly will have taught their subject using
each of the four themes.
Principles
There are four aspects to our approach. These will be supported through
a new tutor development programme, tutor communities of practice and
through development of core resources.
WEA expects that in all our classes the following principles are
followed:
The course subject is explored in line with learning outcomes
and developed in the context of WEA themes. One or more of
the themes are reflected in planning and teaching of courses
Life skills, including maths, English and digital, are developed
and encouraged in the context of the subject area
Students are encouraged to engage critically and actively
around their study
Equality, diversity, inclusion and safety are embedded in
everything we do