Understanding Roles and Responsibilities in the Lifelong Learning Sector

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PTTLS L 4 Understanding Roles and Responsibilities in the Lifelong Learning Sector According to the website All things William.com, the 27th President of the United States, William Howard Taft is credited with stating that “The World is not going to be saved by legislation” (All things William, 1999-2014). Arguably, that may well be true but, teachers within the lifelong learning sector have to be mindful of, and perform their duties in compliance with, a number of pieces of legislation and codes of practise. Francis and Gould note that “The Lifelong learning professional also has a responsibility to ensure that current legislative requirements are met” (Francis and Gould , 2013, p.7) and go on to emphasise in their chapter summary that “a professional approach involves being aware of and upholding current legislation and codes of practise” (Francis and Gould , 2013, p.10). Some legislation (e.g. the Protection of Children Act) has been drafted as a direct response to a need to protect vulnerable individuals. Other examples, such as the Health and Safety at Work Act, Equality Act or the Data Protection Act can be applied equally across a number of sectors (including Lifelong learning). Taking just one as an example, the Equality Act, it is imperative that a teacher takes responsibility for and ensures that their students are offered the same learning opportunities and are not discriminated against (directly or indirectly) as a result of any disability, gender, sexual orientation or colour. If this balance is achieved, this will go some way to reassuring students and engendering a safe and supportive learning environment. Francis and Gould note that “generally, we learn best when we are relaxed and feel comfortable with what we are experiencing in the teaching environment – when we feel secure and largely free from anxiety” (Francis and Gould, 2013, p.15).

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