OCN Northern Ireland
Quality Assurance
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Family Learning
The Open College Network in NI has been at the forefront of family learning for many years now and has been instrumental in developing family learning provision that now sits within the National Qualification Framework. Family learning in its broadest sense refers to all learning that takes place within families; it is a powerful tool when trying to engage adults who have disconnected from learning. Children spend only 15% of their waking hours in school, which leaves 85% spent at home – a huge potential for learning.
Family learning often rekindles the interest of adults in learning, either because they want to be able to support their child at school or because they become more interested in the kind of environment they are bringing their children up in and this can encourage them to take the first steps back into learning. Parental involvement in a child’s learning is more powerful than family background, size of family or level of parental education and in the primary years has more impact on attainment than the school itself.
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OCN NI has managed two successful PEACE II programmes, over a 5 year period. Developing a comprehensive framework of accreditation which provided practitioners with a more coherent and structured approach to family learning with clear progression routes for learners.
OCN NI remain fully committed to the development of Family Learning and continues to take an active role in developments within the field. A family learning forum has been established to allow practitioners to network and share good practice; this forum is made up of strategic partners within the family learning field.
If you are interested in finding out more about family learning please contact a member of our development team.
Our Vision Statement
To be recognised and respected as the leading credit based learning and development body in Ireland, promoting social inclusion, wider participation and community transformation.
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