AN ADULT LLN FRAMEWORK FOR VANUATU ACAL Conference 2014

The job! 1.  Develop a LLN Skills Framework.

2.  Develop a standard national workplace LLN diagnostic tool to be used by all local registered training providers.

3.  Develop LLN Units of Competency.

4.  Identify approaches for integration of LLN requirements into delivery of existing technical Units of Competency.

5.  Prepare a National Workplace LLN Strategy to be approved by the Council of Ministers.

6.  Develop an implementation plan pilot including identification of appropriate LLN trainers, conduct of nationally/internationally recognised LLN trainer training, and development of teaching and learning materials.

The location

The location

The nation •  Independent since 1980

•  Formerly a French and British colony

•  Democratic parliamentary system

•  83 islands

•  Population ≈ 260,000

•  70 % under 25 y.o.

•  80% of population in the informal economy

The language environment • Multilingual, 100+ distinct

vernacular languages

• Everyone is polylingual

•  3 official languages

  Bislama 90%+

  English 70%

  French 30%

•  Schooling in English or French

The organisational environment

• Adult Technical and Vocational Training (TVET) considered “informal”

•  Limited resourcing

•  Fragmented delivery, diverse providers of TVET including adult literacy

• Vanuatu National Training Council (VNTC) seeking to raise status of sector

Diverse providers

The policy environment • Changing structure -TVET system

becomes part of formal education sector

•  Introduction of Training Packages, a National Qualifications Framework, a TVET quality system and a provider registration process

• New education language policy – children will learn to read in their vernacular language where possible

The educational environment

• Education free to Grade 6

•  Language learning very grammar-focussed

• Secondary fees too expensive for many families

• Geographically dispersed population

•  Limited places in secondary schools

Many ni-Vanuatu reach adulthood with limited

literacy and numeracy in any language

Few second chances

The statistics AGE

COHORT Non-

literate Semi-literate Literate

15-19 41.9% 30.7% 27.4%

20-24 32.0% 32.4% 35.7%

25-29 27.5% 41.5% 31.0%

30-39 28.8% 43.4% 27.8%

40-49 32.2% 42.6% 25.2%

50-60 43.2% 37.4% 19.5%

Overall 34.1% 38.3% 27.6% Literacy by Age, Shefa Province, 2011

From Education Experience Survey and Literacy Assessment, Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE)

and Vanuatu Education Policy Advocacy Coalition (VEPAC)

Literate meant able to:

•  read and comprehend basic text with ease

• write complete simple sentences with correct spelling

•  count objects & perform basic calculations

•  use these skills in everyday life.

The Adult LLN environment

•  No dedicated providers

•  No trained adult specialists

•  No consistent or national courses

•  No organised delivery

•  No policy focus on the ‘push-outs’

Where do I start?

  Produce a LLN framework

Who is it for? Which

language/s? Purpose?

How many levels?

Which macroskills?

How much detail?

Who is it for? • Adults including youth •  Lower age limit?

Which language/s? • All 3 official languages

How much detail? • Only as much as required to differentiate between levels • Must be useable by non-specialists, not an academic

exercise

Purpose? •  To assess and describe an individual’s current level of

skills

•  To assess and describe the LLN requirements of training materials, courses, an occupation

•  To identify the gaps between any two of the above

Other expectations…

•  To relate to senior secondary curricula

•  To relate to the Vanuatu Qualifications Framework

Start with the ACSF 1 2 3 4 5

Learning

Reading

Writing

Oral Comm

Numeracy

Don’t reinvent the wheel – what else is there?

NZ learning progressions •  6 levels • Design strongly influenced by needs of Maori/Pasifika

population •  4 macroskills –

  Write to communicate   Read with understanding   Listen with understanding   Speak to communicate

• Subskills detailed under macroskills

NZ learning progressions

International Standard Language Proficiency Ratings (ISLPR)

•  12 levels •  4 macroskills –

  Speaking   Listening   Reading   Writing

PIAAC and others

NAPLAN •  10 bands • National Minimum Standards for each tested year level

First draft

Use Learning Skills

Listening to understand

Speaking to communicate

Reading to understand

Writing to communicate

Use Numeracy skills

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

• Six macro skills • Eight levels of performance • Starts from zero • Each level is a band

•  Tried to correspond framework to secondary curricula and NQF

Searching for equivalences

Still searching …

Next version • Descriptors describe the level of

skills at the point of entry to that band

•  For levels 3, 4 and 5 - descriptors written to describe minimum entry levels to successfully achieve, with reasonable support, Certificate I, Certificate III and Diploma TVET qualifications

The Working Groups

• Also by nature a change project and an awareness raising task :

 Differences between TVET competency-based assessment and schools curriculum-based “bell curve” assessment

 What are learning skills?  Differences between practical adult numeracy and

school maths • Numeracy specialist - lucky for me!

Consultations Purpose: 1. To ensure the Framework:

•  accurately describes the levels

•  is easy to understand and use

•  is culturally appropriate.

2. To add to example tasks. All docs had to be translated into French.

Feedback, changes • Who could be zero in

learning?

• Benchmarking of the levels, esp. numeracy

• Specify numeracy categories

• Numeracy – vatu in thousands & millions

•  Leave out computer skills

•  Leave out interpersonal skills

Assessment tool • A Kit following the model of ACSF

assessment tools

• Authentic materials

• Adapted texts

• Visual clues esp. at lower levels

• Clear guidelines

  Vanessa assisted with the development of the assessment

tools.

The learning •  Listen to the people and their culture.

•  Find the needs of the context and customise to meet them.

• Don’t accept previous practice as fixed.