THE world formerly known as community education should brace itself for being broken up, a Dundee conference heard last week.

Scotland is at “a critical turning point” in the development of what is now entitled community learning, according to Charlie McConnell, chief executive of Community Learning Scotland, which organised the conference.

The agency is facing an uncertain future as part of the Scottish Executive’s “quango review”. It is one of 61 non-governmental public bodies threatened with the axe under legislation scheduled for the middle of next year.

Mr McConnell believes the signals indicate that Scotland is moving closer to England, where there have been four separate national support agencies as opposed to the one-stop shop in Scotland.

“It is essential that statutory and voluntary sector service providers, practitioners and users on the ground influence the services that are provided and that, should the national support services be separated, they work in close collaboration,” Mr McConnell said.

He praised the “commonality of rhetoric” and commitment to invest in training emerging from the Government and employers, both statutory and voluntary, but challenged the “silo thinking” of the three Executive departments that deal with community learning - lifelong learning, education and development. It seemed “almost anathema” that they should come together to drive forward a strategy for community learning, Mr McConnell suggested.

A conference workshop heard from Rory McLeod of Community Learning Scotland that better support for community education staff was a key requirement. A draft report on training was submitted to the Executive in July.

“We need to speak to the employers - that is, all the voluntary agencies, the local authority services and the hybrid agencies - and ask them what kind of skills and competences they want. It is a simple dialogue, but it is crucial to achieve,” Mr McLeod said.

The conference also heard from another leading figure that the fight against social exclusion will not be won by schools alone.

Fraser Patrick, chair of the Community Education Training Review Advisory Committee, said social inclusion was not improving in terms of literacy levels, participation at elections, drug taking, alcohol consumption, teenage pregnancies and male suicides.

“The Education Minister is willing to concede that there are different ways of delivering services,” Mr Patrick said. “But a response based on institutions is not going to turn these figures round.”

He attacked the “contested concept” of community use of school facilities being refurbished under public private partnerships and feared millions would be wasted. “To talk of community use of schools means that we talk of community access outside the school day or when the school is not using the facility.

“This is less engaging and it sends out the wrong message in terms of lifelong learning. It is a 20th century model, a traditional model.”