Adult Education and Social Justice with Mel Lenehan – Universal Learning with Saj Mohammad #5

Universal Learning with Saj Mohammad: Adult Education and Social Justice with @MelLenehan @FircroftCollege 

Episode 5: How can adult education transform lives as well as respond to the social issues affecting all of our lives today?

In this edition of Universal Learning, I’m talking to Mel Lenehan, Principal and CEO of Fircroft College of Adult Education in Birmingham, UK. Fircroft is one of only two residential FE colleges left in the UK and was founded over a century ago thanks to the philanthropy of the Cadbury family.

We talk about a plethora of issue including the importance of treating learners as individuals, how social justice is woven into the DNA of Fircroft, and why senior leaders need to remember that the numbers on a spreadsheet also represent real people.

What lessons can we take from inclusive practice to open up learning to all?

For example, making things easy to read and using clear language helps dyslexic and autistic learners. But shouldn’t it be part of our normal routine when planning teaching, learning, and assessment?

In this podcast series “Universal Learning with Saj Mohammad“, I speak to professionals inside and outside education, as well as parents, carers, and learners themselves about their experiences of inclusion and what lessons we can all learn to make learning as universal as possible.

Music: Sinara by Blear Moon, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC). Sound FX: Soft Blip E Major by New Age Soup via Freesounds, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY).