NIACE
About NIACE
NIACE (The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education - England and Wales) is a non-governmental organisation working for more and different adult learners.
NIACE Aims
NIACE's formal aim is:
"to promote the study and general advancement of adult continuing education"
NIACE is a registered charity (no. 1002775) and a company limited by guarantee (registration no. 2603322) under English law. It is a membership organisation, with individual members and more than 500 corporate members across the full range of providers, policy makers and users of adult learning opportunities. NIACE headquarters are in Leicester, England and Cardiff, Wales. The organisation employs more than 200 staff.
NIACE is an England and Wales body (within Wales a specialist committee, NIACE Cymru, oversees the organisation's work). While we have members in other parts of the UK, our work does not focus on Scotland or Northern Ireland where there are distinctive education systems and structures for adult learning. While many of the messages NIACE promotes are relevant to all parts of the UK, we prefer to work with sister organisations in Scotland and Northern Ireland rather than seeking to work pro-actively there.
NIACE Values
NIACE is the national, independent organisation for adult learning in England and Wales. As a registered charity, NIACE both represents and advances the interests of all adult learners and potential learners – especially those who have benefited least from education and training. NIACE fulfils its explicit commitment to more and different learners according to the following core values:
- The celebration and promotion of active learning as a necessary condition for personal growth, social change and economic development.
- Equality of opportunity for all learners and those working on their behalf.
- Professional reliability based on integrity and respect, quality and accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
- Political independence within the voluntary sector.
- Democratic practice reflecting social justice and the opposition to discrimination and oppression.
- International solidarity with those who share our commitment to adult learning in the wider world.
- Consideration for the environment and for sustainable development in policies and practice.
Equal Opportunities at NIACE
NIACE is the UK’s leading non-governmental organisation for adult learning. The main aim of NIACE is to promote the study and advancement of adult continuing education by securing more and different forms of adult learning for more and different adult learners, especially those who have benefited least from initial education.
NIACE activities are underpinned by our shared belief in the value of:
- The promotion of greater equity and social justice;
- Inclusivity and celebration of diversity;
- Helping people and communities use learning to give greater choice, empowerment and autonomy;
- Helping people to become active and caring contributors to a democratic, pluralistic society;
- Consideration for the environment and sustainable development.
The active promotion of equal opportunities and diversity are indivisible from these values.
NIACE’s Equal Opportunities Policy sets out how NIACE intends to promote equality of opportunity, to celebrate diversity and to develop anti-discriminatory practices in its work.
Statement of Intent
The organisation’s explicit and public declaration of intent is:
“To ensure that the work of NIACE promotes equality of opportunity, social justice, inclusion and celebration of diversity – especially in respect of people’s gender, disability, learning difficulty, age, race, colour, nationality, ethnicity, economic or marital status, HIV/AIDs status, trade union membership, sexuality, family circumstances, political or religious beliefs, language or culture”
Adult learning for all
A unique feature of NIACE is that its work crosses the sectoral boundaries of post-school education and training. It works in all fields of UK education and training, including local authority-organised provision, the further education college sector, higher education in universities and colleges of HE, work-based learning involving both employers and trade unions, learning in the voluntary sector and through the media, especially broadcasters.
NIACE has a particular concern for widening access to learning opportunities and increasing participation among those groups currently under-represented in education and training. We have specialist expertise in work with:
- Literacy, Language & Numeracy
- Older learners
- Learning through Information and Communication Technologies
- Black and ethnic minority learners
- Health and Disability Equality
- Learning and the Voluntary Sector
- Young Adult Learners
- Women
- Other research projects/programmes.
Contact: www.niace.org.uk/
