Abstract:
This paper begins by suggesting that the NSW adult and community
education (ACE) sector may be turning its back on the principles
of adult community education. It does this by drawing attention to
some of the contradictions between ACE public discourse and ACE
practice in NSW. The paper goes on to argue for the restoration of
ACE's principles ofadult community education as a legitimate vision
for the state, but further suggests that NSW Neighbourhood Centres
may be more able providers of adult community education than ACE
themselves.
However, little is understood about the actual work of
Neighbourhood Centres from within the educational fields in NSW.
While the Cinderella Report and other research studies talk about
how Neighbourhood Centres contribute to adult learning, these
discussions do not reflect the reality of the NSW situation. This paper
concludes by suggesting a need for research into the contributions
that Neighbourhood Centres are making to the NSW learning
landscape.
