Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council
Active, Informed, Committed Practitioners
VALBEC leads and connects the adult literacy, language and numeracy field in Victoria
First
Professional Development workshop for 2010
'Understanding and Applying the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF)'
Free workshop • Tuesday 9 February, 2010 • 4.00pm – 6.30pm
Room 915, Victoria University, Flinders St Campus, Melbourne
This workshop will introduce participants to the underlying principles and the key elements of the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF).
Workshop full
We've reached our limit for this workshop and you'll be added to a waiting list. The good news is we're looking at other opportunities to offer a similar workshop and details will be announced through eVALBEC.
Reading Writing Hotline reprieve!
We are pleased to advise that the Hotline has been funded for 2010.
The lobbying efforts of ACAL, VALBEC and the affiliated state organisations,
and lots of providers and individuals have had an impact on changing the
decision to fund the Hotline. Let's hope that this funding will continue
beyond 2010.
2010 VALBEC Conference
Call for Presentations
Friday June 4, 9.00am - 4.00pm • William Angliss Conference Centre
(Pre-conference workshops • Thursday June 3, 3.00 – 5.30pm)
The conference theme in 2010 will focus on “real learning” and the ways in which we, as practitioners make learning possible in diverse and challenging contexts.
Sharing and affirming good practice and finding ways to encourage innovative and creative thinking are essential aims of the conference. The adult literacy, language and numeracy field is well placed to engage with issues of social inclusion. Innovative programs are pivotal in raising awareness and supporting action around wellbeing, social connection and networks. Programs working with accredited and non-accredited curriculum have the challenges of providing opportunities for second chance learners to develop understanding and deal with finances, health, civics and the law to fully participate in society.
'Whose knowledge counts? A Canadian Perspective'
VALBEC's global literacy connections were further consolidated when Tannis Atkinson, an adult literacy teacher from Ontario, Canada visited Melbourne recently. Tannis was in Australia to attend the International Conference on Migration, Citizenship and Intercultural Relations, organised by Deakin University. A former editor of the journal Literacies, Tannis is now a doctoral student at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) in Toronto under the supervision of Associate Professor Nancy Jackson.
Tannis was in Melbourne to present on her doctoral research in which she is examining changing adult literacy policies in Canada and how these might be interpreted through the lens of governmentality. Tannis also made time to speak at a VALBEC Twilight Forum on a hot evening at the North Fitzroy Star Hotel on some of these changing policies and how these have impacted on adult literacy practice and the culture of teacher research.
From Tannis' description of the adult literacy situation in Canada strong parallels could be drawn between Australia and Canada – policy changes accompanied by an increase in regulatory measures of accountability with a decrease in funding being one. Tannis finished on a more positive note with her report on signs of hope which can still be found in some of the between spaces of adult literacy practice.
Links referred to by Tannis in her Twilight Forum presentation
If VALBEC members are looking for Canadian practitioner research on specific issues, they are welcome to contact Tannis by requesting her contact details from info@valbec.org.au
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l to r: Tannis Atkinson, Pauline O'Maley |
l to r: Beverley Campbell, Tannis Atkinson, Peter Waterhouse |
Snoeks Desmond, family literacy expert from South Africa, visits Australia
International relations between South Africa and Australia
were strengthened in recent weeks with the visit to
Australia of Snoeks Desmond from Durban. Snoeks is
an early childhood development and family literacy
expert whose visit was supported by ACAL and VALBEC.
Her visit included participation in the recent ACAL
conference in WA, and in Melbourne
she gave presentations at a VALBEC Twilight forum,
at the University of Melbourne and at Church of All
Nations, Carlton. Snoeks spoke about her work with
the Family Literacy Program, which she established
in 2000 in the province of Kwa Zulu Natal. Snoeks is
now on the board of the Family Literacy Program and
in addition she travels into other African countries
advising governments and other agencies about setting
up their own family literacy programs. Kwa Zulu Natal
is where Alan Paton's novel , 'Cry the Beloved Country'
is set. It is now the province most affected by HIV AIDS
and Snoeks talked about how important literacy is in educating
about such issues as HIV AIDS and health and sanitation.
The Family Literacy Program is a non-government organisation
which has won several significant adult education and
literacy awards. Snoeks' presentations provided a moving
account of the work of the family literacy program,
and a small glimpse into life in this part of South
Africa.
www.familyliteracyproject.co.za
Snoeks Desmond presented VALBEC with the traditional bead work made by women from the Kwazulu Natal Family Literacy Project.
$400,000 funding concern
Members may have noted the awarding of $400,000 in funds to the Australian Industry Group (AiG), for a project to examine the extent of, and responses to, language, literacy and numeracy issues in the workplace as part of the federal government’s Workforce Innovation Program. VALBEC wrote a letter of concern (PDF 50KB) to the Hon. Julia Gillard and Senator Mark Arbib that questioned the appropriateness and purpose of this project. In the past, this kind of project would have been funded through the now defunct Adult Literacy Innovative Projects, managed by DEEWR. AiG has been given funding when it is not in a transparently consultative position and does not have existing relationships with stakeholders such as ACAL or the wider adult education and training sector.
A response (PDF 360KB) from the Office of the Deptuy Prime Minister was received on October 12, 2009.
ACFE Capacity Initiatives
Flexible Business Development Program
Memo re Workshops & Grant Program (PDF 50KB)
Guideline and Application Form (PDF 110KB)
Professional Development Workshops (PDF 90KB)
'Reading The Fine Print'
Rosie Wickert launched 'Reading the Fine Print: A history of the Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council (VALBEC) 1978 – 2008' by Beverley Campbell. This significant publication is an engaging and comprehensive account of thirty years in the life of this professional organization. More
Author Beverley Campbell has been involved in education for thirty-five years, twenty-five of those in adult literacy education. She is a past president of VALBEC (1989-91) and a former member of the Adult Community and Further Education Board of Victoria.
IBSA is developing a Vocational Graduate Certificate and Vocational Graduate Diploma in Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LL&N)
VALBEC's response (PDF 35KB)
Loss of funds for the Adult Literacy National Project
VALBEC recently wrote to the Federal Minster for Education, Julia Gillard, expressing concerns about the loss of funding for the adult literacy national project which includes the Reading and Writing Hotline and ACAL.
Here is the response (PDF 80KB)
We encourage members to write to their state and federal politicians asking about the fate of funding for adult literacy and in particular, ACAL and the Reading and Writing Hotline and give examples from your experience of the service putting learners in contact with programs.
VALBEC responses
Securing Our Future Economic Prosperity
VALBEC response to the Securing Our Future Economic Prosperity discussion paper (PDF 50KB)
LLNP Discussion Paper
VALBEC provided a response to the LLNP Language Literacy and Numeracy Program Services Discussion Paper (PDF 50KB)