NLA Discussion: Next Step Programs

[Julietmerr at aol.com]

There's another twist to the articulation between adult basic education and
college here in England.  The Further Education (FE) system here, roughly
equivalent to community colleges in the US, and separately funded and governed
from the universities, provides one year Access courses to enable adults who
have none of the usual academic qualifications to bypass them and enter
university.  It would be as if one could enter college in the US without a
high school diploma or GED.  I believe that Access courses cover much of the
ground David suggested (study skills, academic reading and writing, science,
counseling etc.)  The FE system is the main institutional home for adult basic
education in Britain, as well as its original mission of vocational education
for school leavers (16-18 year olds).  So in some ways it does do what David
suggesting.  Traditionally in England a much smaller proportion of school
leavers go on to university than in the US, but this has changed radically in
recent years, and the proportion of 'non-traditional' (i.e. older) university
students has grown.  There has been a deliberate effort to both expand
university education and create systematic and valued vocational
qualifications alongside them.  

Since the GED does not equip one to enter US colleges directly (as I remember
it, in Tennessee ALL GED recipients were automatically placed in
'developmental education' courses) maybe there should be other routes?  Rather
than the GED as the first hoop then other hoops if you want to go to college,
a diploma or some such might be a good solution.  The Access courses here
provide accreditation for prior and experiential learning (APEL), as does the
system of national vocational qualifications which has been set up here to
provide some parity between academic and vocational education routes.  I would
think this would need to be built into any bridging type program in the US
too.

Juliet Merrifield
Brighton, England.