Continuing and higher education

This thesis attempts to explain the apparent contradiction between what is said and what is done about providing adult and continuing education in an Australian university. It does this firstly by tracing the historical development of adult and continuing education in Australian universities with emphasis on Sydney University, the institution with the longest tradition in this field. Over the past ten years there has been a shift from liberal adult education towards continuing professional education largely as a result of the tremendous gains in education across all sectors of society since 1945, and the implications this has as educated people seek more opportunity for learning. The thesis then reviews recent changes to the nature of provision of continuing education in other Australian universities which reveals a dismantling of specialised continuing education in preference for the less expensive, integrated approach whereby established faculties and departments take on responsibility for continuing education. These changes have been accompanied by a rhetoric of support for the concept of continuing education by institutions. The basis of such contradiction is analysed by using a four part framework focussing on the different perspectives of continuing education and higher education. The major dimensions on which these differences are analysed are; role and orientation; the nature of academic work; organisational focus and decision making; and, administration and resource provision. An indepth study of the history of adult and continuing education at the Australian National University (ANU) reveals that the contradictions evident in other Australian universities reviewed earlier are also evident at the ANU. The thesis concludes in three ways first with a comment on the iinplications of a recent report by the Commonwealth Tertiary Education Commission (CTEC) on non-award adult and continuing education in Australia as it relates to higher education. The findings of the CTEC report on the organisational aspects of the provision of continuing education by universities is consistent with the findings of the thesis. Secondly it concludes that the framework for analysis identified helps to understand the basis for action in the ANU regarding the management and resourcing of its Cent re for Continuing Education. We _suggest that the framework requires more work for better understanding of the dynamic relationship between the two fundamental categories; role and orientation and the nature of academic work and the other categories; organisational focus and decision making, and administration and resource provision . Finally it concludes on the strategic implications of universities withdrawing from continuing education; becoming less relevant to the needs of an ever changing society, receiving less, real term funding, and aiding in the increase of a range of other organisational interests in continuing education including, professional, community, other governmental and commercial organisations