T here’s more than one way to skin a catmight be Australia’s national motto. In afederal system such as ours, each state

goes about its business in its own particular way.

One of the useful things about national organi-sations such as ACAL is that they provide a wayfor people from different states to come togeth-er and compare notes. There are contributionsfrom every state in this issue of Literacy Link;each deals with volunteer literacy tutors.

It is clear there is no agreement on whether vol-unteer literacy programs are a good thing. Insome states they are well supported by policy, inothers they are threatened by various initiatives. Insome states volunteers seem to be almost forgottenby government systems.

Marcia Barclay (page 3) asserts that, ‘Volunteertutors were the backbone of adult literacy in itsearly days in Australia.’ and asks, ‘So whatcaused the demise of volunteer tutor programsand where have all the volunteer tutors gone?’

More than one contributor points to the literacyprofession’s historical antipathy towards volun-teers. They were seen as ‘untraineddo-gooders’, as ‘exploited’ and put into the cat-egory ‘neither fish nor fowl’.

However, times have changed and Australiansociety has moved on; Ann Brown makes the acrucial point in her article(page 7) ‘Once the average tutorwould have been either a retiredperson or someone (with) sparetime. . . more often today’s tutorsare unemployed . . . volunteering(is now) an approved activity byCentreLink.’

2001, the International Year ofVolunteers, is the right time forACAL to re-examine its viewson volunteer tutoring and towork to connect volunteers,both with each other and withliteracy professionals.

literacy link

February 2001

NEWSLETTER OF THE AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR ADULT LITERACY ISSN 0158-3026 Vol 21 No 1

L i te racy and the In te rna t iona l Year o f Vo lun teers

A C A L

Volunteer tutors, and their students and families enjoy amulticultural picnic in Perth WA (see page 3)

c o n t e n t s :

SA volunteers in community education

literacy program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Literacy and volunteers in WA

—exploitation or dedication? . . . . . . .3

Good practice— guidelines for employing

volunteer tutors (Vic) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Review

– ‘The never too late show’ . . . . . . . . .6

Voices from the field—a volunteer tutor

and co-ordinator (SA) . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Never a dull moment

—two volunteers’ stories (Tas) . . . . . .8

Reflections on 20 years working with

volunteer tutors (NSW) . . . . . . . . . . .10

A volunteer tutor program in the UK . . . .12

Meeting community literacy needs

with volunteers (Qld) . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Literacy contact list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

2001, the beginning of a new millennium, isan appropriate time to reflect on past poli-cies and practices and plan for a new future.

In keeping with the conference themeof 2001, A Literacy Odyssey, we areinviting presentations that • critique past policies and practices toidentify possible ways forward;• identify new and emerging literaciesand issues which have implications forpolicy and practice;• exemplify detailed current practicesthat work; • provide for participants to have a voice.

Formats for the presentations include:• individual papers (40 minutes)• workshops (85 minutes)• panels of up to four speakers (85minutes).

The conference is designed to cater tothe needs of teachers of LANT andcommunity literacy/numeracy courses,vocational and workplace trainers, highschool teachers who are developingcourses oriented to vocational and lifecompetencies, researchers in adult liter-acy /numeracy, managers and policymakers.

Glynda Hull, who is a professor atBerkeley University, USA, a specialistin adult literacy for may years hasagreed to be a keynote speaker at theconference.

Proposals of fewer than 200 words arerequired by 1 April 2001. Email:R.Roebuck@mailbox.gu.edu.auFax: R.RoebuckACAL/QCAL conference organiser -(07) 3875 6868

Papers for refereeing are required by 31August 2001.

SA volunteers in community education l i teracy programs

2 Literacy Link February 2001

by Jan Peterson

Currently, volunteers are involved in thedirect delivery of learning programs in72% of programs funded by the Adult

Community Education Council. Their responsi-bilities vary. Volunteer tutors may:• Be responsible for planning and deliveringindividual learning programs for adults• Deliver learning activities to adult learners onlearning programs planned by a paid educator• Assist a paid educator in classroom activitiesby helping to provide individualised attention• Assist a paid educator in a language class byproviding assistance to those with very limitedEnglish skills in a mixed group• Facilitate conversation groups for English lan-guage learners.

Tutor trainingIt has been difficult for tutors to access ongoingtraining to meet the constant demand and highturnover of volunteer staff. An average of twotraining courses have been available each yearsince 1995, funded through program funds fromthe Adult Community Education Council. Twodifferent courses are available:

• Good Practice for Adult Literacy Tutors —an accredited course that has been adaptedfrom a course designed in WA and which for atime was an elective in a Certificate course inCommunity Services.

• English as a Second Language Training for Tutors

—an accredited course designed for the HomeTutor Scheme in South Australia and aligned tothe Certificate 1 in Workplace Training.

However, many people who volunteer their ser-vices do not wish to complete an accreditedcourse. They may receive informal, on-the-jobtraining and work under supervision.

Volunteers in 2001 This year there are a number of activitiesplanned for volunteers:

1. Tutor training modules will be offered duringthe course of the year, in response to requestsby providers that some training be available forvolunteers each term. The modules will beoffered as both accredited and non-accreditedtraining. The training will be accessed throughthe L&N Professional Development Project andits Project Officer, Tess Were.• Term One: Reading• Term Two: Adults with disabilities

2. This year the theme for the South AustralianACE Conference will be around theInternational Year of the Volunteer. It will beheld on Thursday 29 March 2001, at FullartonPark Centre. Details for registration will soonbe available on the Professional Developmentwebsite: www.literacy.sa.edu.au

Jan PetersonAdult Community Education Unit

ACAL in collaboration with QCAL presents theNATIONAL CONFERENCE1—3 November 2001, Surfers Paradise, Queensland

CALL FOR PRESENTATION PROPOSALS

Literacy Link February 2001 3

Literacy Link (ISSN 0158-3026) isthe newsletter of the AustralianCouncil for Adult Literacy. The Council is a voluntary organisa-tion set up in 1976 to support thedevelopment of adult literacy, numer-acy and basic education in Australia.

ACAL promotes co-operation amonginterested organisations and individ-uals, both government andnon-government, by undertaking andencouraging appropriate study,research and action.

Literacy Link is distributed free toACAL members. Articles are avail-able online on the ACAL Homepage:http://www.acal.edu.auYou are invited to discuss issuesraised in Literacy Link through con-tributions to the ACAL Discussionlist. Subscribe by email to : majordomo@edna.edu.au with message

subscribe acal-discussion end.

The email address is:acal-discussion@edna.edu.au

Editorial Committee:Pat Hazell (editor), GeraldineCastleton, Ann Kelly, Liz Cooper,Tess Were, Ruth Trenerry, ClaireGardnerProduction by David DicksonCopy should be sent to email: dicksond@labyrinth.net.au

Correspondence for ACAL includingmembership should be addressed to:PO Box 2283, Canberra ACT 2601Ph: 03 9326 8369 Fx: 03 9326 8670Email: acal@mira.net

I n Literacy Link (August 2000) the question ‘IsVolunteer Literacy Tutoring likely to riseagain?’ was put to Rosie Wickert. She

pointed out we would be an arrogant bunch ifwe thought only professional teachers couldteach adult l iteracy and numeracy. Thisresponse has provided the opportunity to revisitthe notion of volunteer tutors.

Volunteer tutors were the backbone of adult lit-eracy in its early days in Australia. So whatcaused the demise of volunteer tutor programsand where have all the volunteer tutors gone?

Volunteer tutoring has been attacked on manyfronts with claims such as only trained teacherscan help adults learn to read, that it’s too diffi-cult and not cost-effective to train and supportvolunteers and that volunteers take jobs awayfrom paid staff. Perhaps realising that theywere beginning to sound ‘too precious’, the pro-fessionals then changed tack to claim thatvolunteers were exploited. The latter claim wasthe most ludicrous of all - volunteers readilyvote with their feet if they’re dissatisfied!

Volunteer tutors must be a resilient lot as thereare still several of them operating in smallgroups around the country. Some even willing-ly do their own fund-raising to buy resources -that’s true dedication, not exploitation.

In WA the situation is quite different. TheVolunteer Tutor Scheme (VTS), which wasestablished in 1977, has survived the insecuri-ties of the profession, the union and theinevitable cycle of changing government poli-cies and initiatives. The scheme has continuedto receive both Commonwealth and statefunding. It also receives extensive in-kindsupport from the Midland College of TAFE.

Today, WA (as far as we know) is the only statewith a centrally coordinated network of volunteersand almost 1000 tutors in 24 regions servicingapproximately 1200 students each year.

The ‘too quiet achiever’It hasn’t always been smooth sailing. The VTSwas the epitome of the ‘quiet achiever’ andhaving weathered all the other storms it was thelow profile of the scheme that almost broughtabout its demise.

In 1998, after the scheme had been in operationfor 21 years, the Department conducted areview. The intention was to close the schemeand the purpose of the review was to give the

justification for doing so. What the review foundwas that there was actually very good workbeing done and results being achieved. Therewas also a great deal of support for the schemeto continue from students and volunteers.

What became quite obvious from reading

Literacy and volunteers in WA—exploitation or dedication?

by Marcia Barclay

ca

se

stu

dy

Literacy students’ children getting dizzy at a picnic organised by volunteer literacy tutors—Perth WA

between the lines of the review, was that theVolunteer Tutor Scheme hadn’t failed to delivera good quality, cost-effective service to its stu-dents—it had instead failed to promote itsachievements and failed to build recognition for thescheme and the Department in the community.

The scheme had consumed funding for 21years and in the beginning this notion of build-ing a ‘market presence’ was unheard of in thisfield. However, times had changed and the VolunteerTutor Scheme hadn’t moved with the times.

Today, funding bodies/sponsors want more inreturn for their dollar. To provide a goodservice is no longer enough, the sponsor wantsrecognition and they want to be associated witha winning service/organisation/program.

A major outcome of the review was in relationto the marketing and the profile of the scheme.A deadline of ten weeks was set to relaunch theservice with a new name, logo, image andrange of promotional materials to be unveiledat a Ministerial function with a guest list of over1100 people.

This was achieved with fantastic support fromgraphic designers and media personalities whovolunteered their expertise to successfullylaunch Read Write Now! Two years later someof the results of the concerted effort to build theprofile and success of Read Write Now! includea regular presence in the media, a string ofawards, an unprecedented influx of volunteerswho donate their expertise in graphic design,website development and software develop-ment, in addition to literacy tutoring.

One of the highlights is the strategic alliancewith the Library Information Service of WesternAustralia where all libraries now use the vibrantRead Write Now! logo to identify adult literacyresources. This enables students to independentlyfind resources and also attracts more tutors.

Blow Your Own Trumpet to SurviveMost importantly our strong ‘market presence’has resulted in more secure funding for theservice to continue and to expand. One verystrong lesson is, to receive marginal funding isto learn to blow your own trumpet loud andclear - to quietly deliver a good quality serviceis no longer enough to satisfy funding bodies.

Of course it is only possible to build and sustain

4 Literacy Link February 2001

a high profile when it’s based on a solid foun-dation of consistent results. An independentsurvey of Read Write Now! students showed a92% satisfaction rate with the program. Thesuccess stories are too numerous to mention here butreceive regular coverage in the local media.

Volunteers do what professionals can’tRead Write Now! tutors provide a service foradults who have experienced a sense of failurein the school system and who would not againcross the threshold into a formal educationalinstitution. Typically, our students not only lackliteracy skills, they also have lost confidence intheir ability to learn and carry a sense of shameabout their struggle with l iteracy. Manymigrants/ refugees also seek out Read WriteNow! as we are not restricted by the red tapethat limits access to services.

Tutors also provide support for TAFE studentswho are struggling with reading their coursematerials. Read Write Now! tutors offer some-thing that professionals can’t provide - theluxury of being able to work on a one-to-onebasis with privacy and confidentiality and nocurriculum restrictions.

Are volunteer tutors effective?Most successful outcomes are a result of thetrust and rapport built between the student andthe tutor. Of course, the completion of theaccredited tutor training course contributes tothe success - but the rebuilding of the learner’sself esteem, providing a private and supportiveenvironment that encourages risk-taking inlearning and then working on materials tailor-made to meet the student’s immediate needsand interests also play a major part in thestudent’s success. Most professionals can only envythe opportunity to give this level of service.

Is there a future for volunteer tutoring?The future in WA looks quite secure but what ofthe rest of Australia? The adult literacy issuecertainly isn’t going to go away so perhaps it’shigh time that paid practitioners welcomed vol-unteer tutors to join forces to provide anappropriate range of services that cater for adult stu-dents at all levels of skill and confidence.

Professional associations, such as ACAL, havea major role to play in providing a forum that willenable the fragmented remains of volunteertutoring to reconnect and form a more enlight-ened and empowered network. Anyone involvedin volunteer tutoring is invited to make contactwith Read Write Now!

Marcia BarclayManager, Read Write Now!

barclm@midland.training.wa.gov.auphone: 08 9274 9310

freecall: 1800 018 802 (WA only)

These guidelines were drawn up for theEnglish Language Volunteer Home TutorProgram. The program was borne out of a

need to provide follow-up English language ses-sions for women from a non-English speakingbackground (NESB) who were unable to attendEnglish classes outside their own homesbecause they had recently had ababy. The (students) women wererecruited through the English as aSecond Language for ChildbirthProgram - a thirty hour languageprogram offered by the Council ofAdult Education (CAE) at the RoyalWomen’s Hospital in Melbourne.

Volunteer program aims and programimplementation• To facilitate a friendly, non-threatening envi-ronment in which the student can confidentlyimprove and develop language skills.• To provide information about further educa-tion and community services, through the CAEcontact person.• To practise and improve specific languageskills in order to be able to access these services.

Volunteer rights and responsibilities (The following is taken, in part, from informationprovided by the Volunteer Centre of VictoriaInc. Telephone (03) 9650 5541)As a CAE volunteer tutor you have the right to:• information about the organisation for whichyou are volunteering• a clearly written job description • know to whom you are accountable• be supported, supervised and receive on-going training• a healthy and safe working environment• be covered by insurance• say ‘no’ if you feel you are being exploited• be informed and consulted on matters whichdirectly affect you and your work

As a volunteer you need to :• Ask for student’s expectation of you as a lan-guage tutor and in general about the program.• Make sure that the student understands thatyou are only there to help them improve theirEnglish conversational skills• Focus on improving communication skills(avoid becoming emotionally or financiallyinvolved with your student)• If faced with a difficult situation seek advicefrom your contact person at the CAE.• Avoid situations that the student may inter-pret as threatening; keep the sessions casualand relaxed.• Recognise that the power to learn is with the

student - don’t become frustrated if you feel thatthe student is not progressing as rapidly as youhad hoped.• Find out about their long term and short termeducational goals.• Choose materials/topics that contain sharedinterests and/or relate to the student’s life

goals. Newspapers and ‘junk mail’ canprovide a versatile spring board for dis-cussion, vocabulary building andreading practice.• Talk about their family backgroundbut wait till they initiate the exchange -many of our students have been victims oftorture and may have suffered family losses.• If appropriate, set tasks for them to

do in between home visits, such as asksomeone directions/the time etc.• Inform your student about localservices/facilities/festivals.• Try to vary the venue if possible. Go for awalk (if the baby is awake). Talk about thethings around you.• Use the resources available in the CAElibrary. You may like to watch a video togetherand then discuss it. There are some greatcooking videos in the CAE library.

You need to :• Be reliable and punctual• Practise and observe standards of confidentiality• Carry out the specific job description• Be accountable• Undertake training as requested• Ask for support when you need it• Give notice before you leave the organisation• Carry out the work you have agreed to doresponsibly and ethically. • Be able to provide the names and telephonenumbers of two referees.As a volunteer in this program you do notreplace paid workers nor constitute a threat tothe job security of paid workers nor will you beplaced in compromising positions with regardsto work disputes.

Volunteer support and benefitsThe Volunteer English Language Home TutorProgram provides:• The opportunity to meet people from diversecultural and linguistic backgrounds and othervolunteers.• Twelve months access to the ESL collection,

Literacy Link

go

od

pra

ctic

eGuidelines for employing volunteerliteracy tutors

“As a volunteer in this program you do notreplace paid workers nor constitute a threatto the job security of paid workers...”

continued on page 16

by Claire Gardner

6 Literacy Link February 2001

The Never Too Late Show

The Never Too Late Show is a television seriesdesigned to teach adult literacy and numeracythrough comedy. It is accompanied by a work-book. The comedy format used is in the style of‘Seinfield’ or ‘Friends’ and so has appeal foryoung adults who enjoy this type of television.The Never Too Late Show was trialled at SconeHigh School in the Hunter Valley, NSW.

Prices (including GST):TAFEs and schools

one video . . . . . . . . . .$97.90series of 10 videos . . .$783.20

Universities and othersone video . . . . . . . . .$170.00series of 10 videos . .$1400.00

Teachers’ workbook . . . .$21.80

The series was produced by TAFE NSW in con-junction with Artist Services Pty Ltd, and fundedby Department of Education, Training andYouth Affairs. Videos areavailable fromEducational MediaAustralia Phone 03 96997144 and workbooks areavailable from AccessEducational Services,TAFE NSW, phone 029846 8101.

Report on the use ofThe Never Too LateShow at Scone HighSchool, NSWThe materials were tri-alled with 13 students ina lower ability Year 10class. They lacked confidence in their literacyskills and are difficult to motivate. Most hope toleave school at the completion of Year 10.

Use of videos and workbookThe Never Too Late Show materials were usedin an intensive way for a period of five weeks inTerm 3 in a Unit entitled ‘Real World LiteracySkills’. The class worked on The Never TooLate Show for every period during this time.Their work consisted of a mixture of viewing,discussion and written activities.

The students enjoyed the material. A number ofthe students recognised the well-known come-dian, Michael Veitch. They found the episodesand sketches funny. The quick-grab nature wasfamiliar and appealing to these students, whoseattention span is short. After watching twoepisodes the class was ‘hooked’.

Using the materials in the classroomThe videos and workbook link effectively. The

teaching process was as follows:

1. Each episode was shown in sections, with theteacher stopping the tape to lead students to therecognition of a specific literacy need as it occurred.

2. There was guided discussion of literacy issues raisedwithin the episode, to establish students’ recognition ofthe need for this particular literacy learning.

3. Workbook activities were completed, using avariety of learning situations eg. individually, inpairs and in groups.

4. Completed activities were marked, both within andoutside of class time.

5. Further activit ies were supplied by theteacher, for example the School Certificateentry form, Austudy application form, and WorkExperience letters.

6. Some students provided their own ‘real life’ activ-ities to work on: jobapplications, adver-tisements for thelocal paper classi-fieds, andapprenticeshipapplication forms.

OutcomesWriting skil lsimproved acrossthe whole group.Students showedimprovement instructure andparagraphing and

an enhanced understanding of writing for apurpose and a specific audience.

Synthesising information, reading instructionsand vocabulary improved. Language and litera-cy skills were enhanced through examination ofpersuasive language. Chapter 6 (Reading andWriting Advertising) gave students experienceof reading between the lines, a skill which manyfind difficult.

ConclusionThe Never Too Late Show (videos and work-book) is recommended for use with youngstudents with literacy learning needs.

The use of this resource significantly reducesteacher preparation time. Because the work-book is designed for use without individualinstruction, the teacher can be the facilitatorrather than the instructor.

Roslyn MackintoshScone High School

re

vie

w

A number of the students recognised the well-known comedian, Michael Veitch.

Literacy Link February 2001 7

Voices from the field—volunteer tutors

Volunteer tutors are the backbone of liter-acy provision in South Australia; withoutthem many programs would not be oper-

ating.

Who are volunteer tutors? What is theprofile of an ‘average’ volunteer tutor? Changing times have created an interestingevolution in this field. Once the average tutorwould have been either a retired person orsomeone in the community who did not work,had spare time, a desire to assist others andtheir literacy skills were higher than the stu-dents’. Whilst we still have a number of tutorswho would fit the ‘traditional’ model, more oftentoday’s tutors are people in the community whoare unemployed and seeking new skills or net-works.

This shift is reflective of broader communitychanges, due to the validation of volunteeringas an approved activity by CentreLink. Today’stutor is trained using accredited curriculum, isoften computer literate and has an understand-ing of professional work practices.

Despite the changing nature of volunteering thebasic reason for tutoring remains the same—adesire to assist others in the community todevelop skills. The expected ‘trade off‘ maydiffer from our retirees who merely wished to filltheir time valuably to today’s volunteers whowant training, professional development, refer-ences and career pathway assistance.

Case study: Debbie’s storyDebbie is perhaps not a classic example of the‘new breed’ of volunteers but does haveaspects of the traditional and the contemporary.She is a sole supporting parent in her mid 30’s-raising three children on her own.

She was two years into a teaching degree whenshe quit to have children. A range of negativelife experiences over the following six yearseroded her self-confidence and esteem. Whenshe came to the community centre she wasaware of a need to do something—but wasunsure what. When literacy tutoring was sug-gested she was not sure of her abilities butdecided to ‘give it a go’. Debbie’s progress hasbeen remarkable; not only is she one of mymost productive tutors but she has also devel-oped and facilitates an L’s group, a walkinggroup and co-runs a craft group. A valuableasset one would say and yet there’s more—shealso is the organisation’s publicity officer.

What is the ‘trade off’ for Debbie? Perhaps thebest person to tell you this is Debbie; read on

for her story—

What volunteering means to me!A few years ago I was in the position where myyoungest child was in kindy and approachingschool age. I would have a few hours a day tofollow my own dreams—this was very scarystuff. Once upon a time I had had the dream tobe a schoolteacher but had deferred my studiesfor my family. Ten years on it seemed like thedream was lost forever.

So I went around to Northern Area Communityand Youth Services Inc (NACYS). All of the kidshad gone to occasional care there, so it wasn’ta strange place to me....... And I volunteered.That simple act started a great change in mylife. I did some mandatory training, the first Ihad done in years. I was placed on aCommunity Improvement Program, became theliteracy/numeracy tutor and asked to do somepublicity. To do this I actually had to go back toschool. While I got to convince other peopletheir skills were useful and they were a successI was actually convincing myself!

From this beginning I was thrown into teachingprograms, very gently of course, and onceagain had to update my education. There wasmuch I didn’t know. At the beginning this was allin a voluntary capacity. However, I am nowemployed on a casual basis. What better isthere in the world than to do something you loveand actually get paid for it!

Now I teach varying things (both volunteer andpaid), am a full time student myself, I still havea volunteer position and wonder how I couldonce have possibly thought I was ‘just a Mum’and not useful.

Debbie’s experience is mirrored by many volun-teers Australia wide - personal growth andsatisfaction are the rewards.

As an adult literacy educator for almost 11years I can also talk about the value of volun-teering from two separate angles - as a coursecoordinator and as a volunteer.

In 1990 I was searching for a pathway. Mysister was born with an intellectual disability, Imarried a man who was numerate but not liter-ate, both my children had minor learning

. . . often today’s tutors are unemployedand seeking new skills or networks . . dueto validation of volunteering as anapproved activity by Centrelink

by Ann Brown

Never a dull moment as an adult literacy tutorThe two authors describe themselves as ‘twomature aged women with . . . a deal of life expe-rience’. In fact, one is 72 years old and, as wego to print, the other will turn 83!

Our association with the Adult Literacyand Basic Education (ALBE)Programme commenced approximately

13 years ago when we applied to do a trainingcourse which was advertised in the local news-paper. As two mature aged women with

reasonable education, intelligence and a dealof life experience, we hoped to improve the lit-eracy and numeracy skills of adults who had

slipped through the education system andwanted help.

In 1988 we attended a two day tutor trainingcourse. Since 1993 tutor training has beenconducted over ten weekly sessions (25 hoursduration), covering a broader range of topicsand in 2001 training will be accredited. Ourtraining was not very intense; nowadays thetutors have to be more skilled.

Our students have rangedfrom those needing basicskil ls to young peopleneeding to pass pre-selection tests to enterthe forces. Very oftenstudents wanted to keeptheir lack of l iteracysecret from their familiesand needed quiet, unob-trusive help byunderstanding tutors.The tutor became a confi-dante and friend and thestudent benefitted from aone-to-one learning situa-tion. Lessons varied from1-3 hours per week andtook place in tutor’s orstudent’s homes. We feelthat the success we havehad in our area was duemostly to compatiblematching by our coordi-nator, Liz Cooper.

We have been fortunate tobe in the Kingston/Channel

area (south of Hobart) where our coordinator hasbeen available at all times to help and advise us.Monthly lunch time Tutor Support Group meetings

8 Literacy Link February 2001

PEGGY’S STORY:One of my students who came to me in a very depressed state, turned out to be themost interesting and successful in the end - his wife had walked out after 30 years ofmarriage taking with her all the best furniture and belongings including his photos. Tomake matters worse she took most of their money, as they had a joint account. Hewas tearful for the first 3-4 months of his weekly lessons.

Gradually he cheered up and began to work hard at his spelling and his writing. I gothim to sign his name in an individual way for banking use - he loved doing that. Hemade such good progress that he told me that he had been promoted at work. He wasnow in charge of twelve people. I could see his morale getting better and better.

One morning he arrived for his lesson carrying a ticket for Russia. I knew he had apen pal from Yekaterinburg. She sounded a very nice lady, who wrote him letters withhearts stuck all over them. He had suddenly decided to go to Russia to meet her. Weall advised him to be very careful, as Russia could be a rather dangerous place to visitpolitically. He had a wonderful time, enjoying the food and the vodka immensely. Itall went so well that he persuaded his Marika to come to Tasmania to marry him. Thestory ends sadly, she did come, but left after a week. I had to get help from theRussian Orthodox priest and his wife to look after her until her family sent the moneyfor her return ticket.

His life has turned out happily in the end, as he married a delightful Thai lady and nowI am helping her with English.

by Peggy Wolfe and Betty Anderson

problems. So with all this in my history, is itany wonder that a literacy program attractedme? I became a volunteer tutor and withintwelve months was working in the field andstudying. As a volunteer and then educator Ihave never lost sight of the reciprocal learningthat is exchanged between student and educa-tor/tutor.

My role as volunteer coordinator allows me toshare their successes (and there are many)with my tutors and students. The beaming

look on both faces as they come to show howthey ‘battled the demon’ and won is bothrewarding and humbling—that they let me sharethis moment. I am sure that every educatorremembers the following situations:

• The person who comes for an assessmentbelieving that their skills are low and linked totheir intelligence walking out beaming whentold that they are intelligent people with goodpractical skills who need to work on their literacy.

• The angry person who hated school and bearsthe scars of reluctance to learn who, when

Voices from the field cont.

are held where we discussany problems that arise. Atthese we are updated withinformation, discuss differentteaching methods and haveoccasional guest speakers.We have a small librarydonated by Kingston Rotarywhich is available to bothtutors and students andthere is a comprehensiveResource Centre inHobart where there areworkshops with guestspeakers held severaltimes a year arranged bythe Tasmanian Councilfor Adult Literacy (TCAL)and ALBE.

Adult l iteracy studentshave changed consider-ably since the programme’s inception. We stillhave people who need help with everyday lifeskills: filling in forms, reading labels, followingwritten instructions, reading and replying toletters and reading to their children, that is,functional literacy, to enable them to improvethe quality of their lives.

Recently there is more emphasis placed on stu-

dents who are anxious to improve their skills toenable them to get jobs more easily, keep jobsor get promotion, that is, vocational literacy.

Since joining TAFE Tasmania, ALBE now has tobe more accountable, as government funding isdependent on numbers and outcomes. Tutorshave to complete detailed forms of attendance,enrolment, progress and personal assessmentof each student at the end of the year.Coordinators are under constant pressure tojustify their positions - their workload is greater,leaving them less time to devote to adults whodo not attend classes.

We feel very strongly that adult literacy shouldcater for all adults who seek assistance regard-less of status. The Government is ready to helpthe able people to be educated, but the plight ofthe less able has been forgotten and shelved, inevery way including financial.

What about us? From each student we havelearned something - they have shown thatdespite many difficulties they are determined toimprove their own and their family’s lives.

Literacy Link February 2001 9

Betty and Peggy have staunchly defendedliteracy education over the years in lettersto newspapers

BETTY’S STORY:A student who stands out in my memory is Ellen, my first student. She was 20 yearsold, with three children when she first came to my home, with very low self-esteem.Her mother died when she was 5 years old and she spent the next ten years in andout of foster homes and institutions, changing schools regularly and was labelled“dumb and stupid”. Her main aim in classes was to read to her children and help themwith school work enabling them to have a better education than she’d had.

One project which greatly improved the digestion of the family was the cookinglessons. She made a recipe book in which she wrote simple recipes and sometimesshe’d bring the ingredients to cook the evening meal for her family and we’d do thisin my kitchen - also cakes for special occasions, biscuits, etc. When she learned toread the instructions on the baby’s formula the baby’s health also improved greatly.She also learned some basic first aid as they lived in a remote area and medicalattention was one hour’s drive away.

Over a period of two years Ellen came to lessons for three hours each week, learned veryquickly, was very conscientious and I had a great admiration for her determination to improveher own and her family’s lot in life, despite her own very sad upbringing.

writing poetry for the first time as a cathartic

exercise, recognises the power of words.

• The awakening of a love of literature in one

whom hitherto only read the TV guide.

• The person who attends for the first time and

has personal hygiene problems, mirroring low

self esteem, possible homelessness and who,

after a great deal of support—including advoca-

cy, counselling and communication building,

leaves the course eventually to become a vol-

unteer themself.

• The tutor who comes to you with the recogni-tion that educators are not the guardians of allknowledge but are learners themselves andtherefore feels more confident to accept thechallenges of teaching skills where she is onlytwo steps ahead herself.

Today’s tutors are skilled volunteers and thefield owes them a debt of gratitude. Volunteersare the heart, strength and voice of our community.

Ann BrownVolunteer & Placement Coordinator (Northern

Area Community & Youth Services Inc) SA

10 Literacy Link February 2001

Way back in the 1970s, specialisedadult literacy provision was new inAustralia. In New South Wales, a few

classes already existed in evening collegesusing traditional primary-school methods, butnew TAFE programs were initiated by KathWhite in 1977. In line with the political empha-sis on access and equity in further education fordisadvantaged adult groups (Kangan Report,1975) they seemed a tremendous advance,being based on the concept of literacy as ahuman right rather than on the establishedremediation model. As in Britain, the procedurewas to use trained volunteers (‘the living indi-cation of the caring community’) to give freeone-to-one tuition in a community location,often the home. In such settings, content,method, timing, location and materials forlearning could be negotiated with students andtailored to their needs.

Most of us involved inthose early days,were mostly broughtup on the ideas of thegurus of the 60s and70s like Freire, Illich,Knowles and CarlRogers.Consequently, wewere brimming withenthusiasm for ournew roles in student-led, whole-personeducation. From thebeginning the demandfrom prospectivelearners was oftenmore than one coordi-nator could effectivelymanage, so one-to-one provision wassupplemented by

small-group tuition on-campus with profession-al teachers. Appropriate university leveltraining in adult basic education (or ESOL forthat matter) did not exist and most of us whobecame Adult Literacy Officers (ALOs) (theTAFE designation for coordinators of volunteerprograms) had backgrounds in school teaching.Consequently, there was a lot of ‘learning onthe job’ and from each other in an atmosphereof great camaraderie.

The concept of a cooperative endeavourbetween government bureaucracy and the com-munity seemed visionary - and indeed it was!Democratic ‘ learning partnerships’ betweenprofessional coordinator, resourceful volunteer

tutor and committed student broke new groundin respecting each participant’s right to share indecision-making about content and style oftuition. But I and my fellow ALOs were certain-ly naive in believing that such a system wouldcontinue to grow and flourish without muchalteration, subject as it was to institutionalrestructuring and changes in government policy.

Growth and tensionsThrough the early 80s, as demand for assis-tance soared and more basic educationteachers were employed, questions of profes-sional career paths and industrial relationsissues between literacy/numeracy teachersworking in college classrooms and ALOs out inthe community loomed ever larger. The ‘qualityof service’ provided by ‘volunteer amateurs’was questioned by those struggling to establishAdult Literacy Teaching as a profession withsatisfactory rates of pay and working condi-tions. They saw such tutors as a threat to theirprofessional status, especially once post-grad-uate courses were established and qualificationsfor employment were set by TAFE.

In addition, ALOs were barred from promotionunless they became on-campus teachers, soeffectively there was no career path for thosecoordinating volunteer programs. Recently(Sim, 2000), the whole conflict was down-played as ‘more an industrial issue than aneducational one’ (p.13), but in reality theopposing educational viewpoints were alsopoles apart. Both here and overseas journalarticles appeared, one side espousing theunique learner as ‘knower’ of his own needsand goals (Ilsley, 1985) with the nonprofession-al tutor as ‘learning assistant’ (Cervero, 1985)and the other promoting the expert teacher as‘enlightened guide’ (Bradshaw, 1992).

Volunteer programs and ‘invisible women’Debate raged in NSW in the mid 1980s, withTAFE and the Teachers Federation allies (fortheir own purposes) to eliminate or at leastrestrict the role of volunteers. The profession-alisation of the field sought by the teachers wasgradually achieved through the late 80s andearly 90s with their status and numbersenhanced; funding by ILY (International Year ofLiteracy 1990) and ALLP (Australian Languageand Literacy Policy 1992) fostered deeper andmore sophisticated research and teachingmethodology better grounded and richer inresources. Volunteer programs, while stillexisting, largely disappeared from serious con-sideration and as Merilyn Childs wrote in 1995,

Working with volunteers—reflectionson 20 years in adult literacy

by Joan Giumelli

NSWALNC forum

A Way With Words6 April 2001, Sydney

Cost: members $95 non members $120The forum targets literacy practitionerswho would like stimulation in their teach-ing of writing. To do this, we have a rangeof writers who will give insights into theirown writing practices. Included are a legalwriter, a cartoonist, a web designer, afiction writer and a 'writer as advocate'.Kaye Schofield, as chair of ALNARC, willopen the forum.

For registration details contact Leslie Steinphone 02 9514 3973email: leslie.stein@uts.edu.au

Literacy Link February 2001 11

were staffed by ‘invisible women’.

However, the politically driven move of TAFEaway from the community and from further edu-cation (the FE) and deeper into work training (T)propelled literacy into the ‘mainstream’ of voca-tional competency-based training.Paradoxically, this actually cut across theteachers’ aims and by the late 90’s language/lit-eracy/numeracy teaching seems to have beenlargely subsumed into delivering ‘training pack-ages’. (Kell, 1999). The profession isincreasingly casualised, with a consequentdecline in numbers and morale.

What about volunteer programs?My personal position in all these argumentsremained pro-volunteer, because I believed thatthe two systems (professional - group tuitionand volunteer - one-to-one tuition) were not incompetition, but complementary. Nobody woulddeny the need for a learning pathway throughaccredited courses for those who need or wantthem; on the other hand, there will always bethose who are not ready for group tuition,whether emotionally or in skill level, and thosefor whom informal, private, flexible learning witha nonprofessional helper exactly meets theirneeds. Consequently, I resigned from TAFE in1987 and with those tutors and students whowalked out with me, set up Literacy Network asa ‘community association for the sharing of lit-eracy skills’.

The Network is still very much part of our localcommunity in the north of Sydney today, partial-ly funded by BACE (Board of Adult andCommunity Education) but the rest comes fromfee-for-service work and fund-raising. Weoperate as professionally as possible, insistingon substantial training for tutors (but not com-petency-based), careful assessment andmatching, and close liaison of student/tutorpairs with their coordinator. Indeed, manypeople who have gone on to careers in AdultBasic Education received their initial trainingand first supervised teaching experience as vol-unteer tutors.

Yet lack of interest in our efforts by the ‘powersthat be’ means we have little sense of belongingin a broader field of endeavour, whether literacyor volunteering. In adult basic education, weare marginalised as volunteers, in adult educa-tion we do not count because we arespecialised providers and the world of organ-ised volunteering pays little heed to the field ofadult education. I am sure those working in 1:1community programs in other States would alsosee a crying need for recognition, research andconsequent specifically targeted professionaldevelopment. Some contact between us wouldcertainly help to alleviate the sense of isolation,which must be even more intense for those

assisting others’ learning on a purely, informalneighbourly basis with no knowledge of theresources and support available. When webroaden our vision to the community-at-large,the reach of the professional looks very limitedindeed.

Meanwhile,LiteracyNetworkcontinuesto operateon what aspeech-writer of thePrimeMinisterrecentlycalled‘those tiredold socialjusticeshibbo-leths’. Ourvolunteers tend to be younger that in the past(30s to 50s) and are often working women -men tutors are few and far between - though therecently retired form a sizeable minority, bringing awealth of skills and knowledge from teaching andother relevant careers. They often work with us foryears.

Students, both ESB and NESB, number about 60 atany one time, with ages ranging from 15-year-olds who could not ‘hack’ the school system toseniors improving their skills to enhance their lives.

Certainly, the conundrum of professionalismversus learner power and community involve-ment remains as difficult to solve as it ever did,since outcomes-based training and contractualaccountability are now central to governmentpolicy. To be marginalised is probably the onlyway to preserve some freedom of choice in bothcontent and methodology, but how long can pro-grams based on personal relationships ratherthan regulations survive?

A glimmer of hope lies in the concept of thecommunity sector as the ‘third way’ betweenpublic and private sectors. In the present post-Olympic euphoria, both Federal and Stategovernments trumpet their support for volun-teering and for the ‘development of socialcapital’ (the current buzz phrase). In reality,however, Governments remain quite ambivalenton the question as revealed in an Issues Papercirculated by the Charities Definition Inquiry (2000).

The Committee notes ‘communities beingencouraged to take greater responsibility fordeveloping their own solutions to their problemsand needs’ while at the same time ‘governmentfunding for the sector [is] being provided

Our oldest student, a Hungarian lady whostudied conscientiously and to good effectevery week for several years, died recently atthe age of 92.

12 Literacy Link February 2001

I n the past four years over 1800 volunteershave become involved in literacy work inDerbyshire, from 15 year olds as ‘Buddies’

through parents in school and employees inlocal factories, to retired people full of energyand wanting to ‘put something back’. Whatstarted as one small part of a new and develop-ing community literacy initiative became anintegral part of the overall strategy, and one ofthe cornerstones of its success. (‘Read On-Write Away! Interim Report’ 2000)

Volunteers, usually parents and carers, havealways been a rich resource in primary schoolsin the UK - when used well they can be distinctand invaluable members of the team of adultsworking with children. When badly used -

untrained, unsupported,doing menial tasks - they arerelegated to pot-washers andmessage takers. In adultbasic education, volunteertutors are often the bedrockon which the service sur-vives, supporting part-timetutors by working one-to-onewith students.

In 1997 an Initiative calledRead On - Write Away! began in Derbyshire, alarge, diverse and fairly rural county with a pop-ulation of about 1 million people, in centralEngland. Read On - Write Away! was launchedas a ‘Community Literacy Strategy’, working toraise standards of literacy through the involve-ment of whole communities, in partnership witha number of organisations, and with a particularemphasis on areas of socio-economic deprivation.

Uniquely in the UK, this partnership was bothoutside of local government (constituted as anindependent partnership) and concerned withlifelong learning—working with 0-99 year olds,both in and out of the formal educationsystems. In addition the Board was made up ofChief Executives from a number of local and

Volunteer tutoring in the UK

‘I started at the family literacy group when Ross’s teacher asked me if I would like tobe involved in a new group for parents. I was really scared when I first went - I actu-ally felt sick in the morning! - but I thought ‘I’m doing this for Ross’ so I went in andI really loved it. I improved my spelling and my reading, and I learnt how to helpRoss. Then Karen (the tutor) asked us what we wanted to do next and I said I’d liketo help out in school. She got me onto this course, and I’ve worked with seven chil-dren so far, helping them with their reading, and now I’ve started the NVQ. InSeptember I became a governor at the school, and started a computer course. I’dreally like to go to university, I’d like to become a social worker.’ Angie

increasingly through outcome based fundingagreements for the provision of defined ser-vices ...[and] contracts for the delivery ofgovernment programs.. [are] being awardedincreasingly on the basis of competitive tender-ing processes’ (p.7). The outcome of thevaunted ‘government-community partnerships’looks problematical indeed. The present politi-

cal climate is far from the favorable one of the1970’s.

Joan GiumelliLiteracy Network, NSW

A full version of this article, including refer-ences, can be found in the archive of LiteracyLinks on the the ACAL web site—http://www.acal.edu.au

continued from previous page

by Carol Taylor

national agencies; people with both the visionand the power to help make the idea a reality.The Initiative grew from two people and a smallamount of core funding, to a team of 25 people,with a number of funding streams, recognisedwithin the UK as an exciting, innovative andeffective way of raising standards and engagingpeople in learning.

The underpinning ethos was to work with peopleto enable them to improve their literacy andbasic skills, so that they could have choices -choices about employment, helping their chil-dren or joining the library, improving their skillsor to act as ‘brokers’ or volunteers in their owncommunities. The vision was of a strategicapproach, one where people could have accessto numerous, diverse and relevant opportunitiesto get involved in improving their skills, onewhere the quality of provision was based onwhat people wanted, where this was made to fitthe outcomes that funders wanted, not the otherway around.

‘When I was 14 I had a reading age ofnine’.....As programmes and strategies unfolded andwere developed, more and more adults and chil-dren became involved as volunteers: as BuddyReaders – young people acting as readingmentors to younger children; as ReadingPartners – parents, carers andother volunteers working inten-sively with individual children; asCare Leaver Buddies – youngadults who had been through thecare system, trained to work withother children in public care; asStory Sacks groups – makingSacks in their lunch hour for local nurseries.This began to impact on children and adults- ontest scores, on levels of confidence, on theskills levels of families.

It also began to impact on the volunteers them-selves - young people with poor literacy skillsbegan to improve their own skills and becomere-engaged with learning. Parents acting asReading Partners began to clamour for ‘some-thing else to do’; employees began to ask ifthere were courses they could do.

As William, now aged 16 said: ‘When I was 14 Ihad a Reading Age of nine - I got involved in theBuddy Reading because I wanted to help otherswho weren’t doing very well. I improved myscore (Reading Age) so much that I wanted todo something with my life’. In August William’steacher phoned to say that he had got 5 GCSEsand had been accepted for the Army...she wasin tears!

Volunteers become part of a quality system -

trained, supported, rewarded, and offered on-going opportunities for further development.Within the programme they are offered a ‘raft’ ofdifferent opportunities, from 6 hour training onsharing books, through 2day intensive training tobe a Talking Partner, to a10-week course to be aqualified Volunteer AdultTutor. We have trainedstaff in supermarkets,midday supervisors,young people inResidential Care and inYouth Clubs and over 15Women’s Institutes. Ourvolunteers include, at themoment, a vicar, afireman, three caretakers and a retired colonel,as well as 48 young people who have left public care.

We have developed training opportunities insupporting reading, in working with young chil-dren on speaking and listening, for volunteerswho want to work with adults and for thoseacting as ‘signposters’ in local communities,able to act as a friendly face for those who wanthelp. This year, in a Working Men’s Club, welaunched a community-based ‘Access to HigherEducation’ course, run in partnership with alocal college, for eight women who all started as

basic skills students and volun-teers. This month we launch twonew volunteer programmes onwriting, enabling volunteers towork with children and youngpeople to encourage anddevelop writing skills and imagi-nation.

We lose our volunteers all the time - they getjobs as classroom assistants in schools, theyleave the factory floor for ‘better jobs’, they signon to full-time courses. Others volunteer regu-larly, when they can fit it in around the rest oftheir life and get pleasure from helping others.As Paul, caretaker at a local school and one ofour Reading Champions said: ‘I get a greatfeeling when I’ve worked with one of the ladsand the teacher tells me how much he’simproved; I get an even better feeling when he’swaiting for me at lunchtime with a new book hewants to tell me about.’

Website: www.rowa.co.uk Or contact CarolTaylor on carol@rowa.co.uk; tel: UK (0)1629585603

Carol TaylorDirector of Read On - Write Away!

Carol is hoping to visit Australia to attend theACAL/QCAL National Conference 1—3 Nov,.Surfers Paradise, Queensland.

Literacy Link February 2001 13

A qualified ‘Better Reading Partner’

14 Literacy Link February 2001

I n the early days of adult literacy, Kath Whiteidentified a tension between remaining trueto adult education principles of being free to

respond to individual and community needs, asand when they arise, and lobbying for govern-ment funding for programs and thereforecomplying with government agendas andaccountability measures. Sadie Foster andMarie Byrne, in Queensland, chose to respondby offering a volunteer tutor program which, likemany other similar programs, drew on membersof the community who accepted a responsibilityto address a perceived need which was not oth-erwise acknowledged or provided for. Thedecision to use volunteers was in many cases apragmatic one, assistance was required andthere was no funding for paid staff. At the sametime, the nature of the volunteer tutor, assomeone who has empathy with others, hasalways been important and even with the devel-opment of more formal l iteracy provision,volunteer tutors often play a vital role. Some ofthe challenges of maintaining fundamentalbeliefs while conducting government fundedprograms are outlined in the next section.

Re-forming adult literacy principlesTraditionally, adult literacy practitioners accept-ed a primary responsibility to their students andstudents’ learning. Early ‘statements of princi-ple’ included the voluntary participation ofstudents, negotiation of a student centred cur-riculum, the development of studentself-confidence and engagement in whole lan-guage pedagogies. Such principles reflect asocial-justice agenda and a ‘sense of commit-ment’ which has been noted by observers ofadult literacy practitioners, whether teachers orvolunteer tutors, in the UK (Mace, 1994) andthe USA (Wilson & Corbett, 2000). However, asadult literacy programs have changed, the ten-sions outlined by Kath White earlier, havebecome more apparent. With the introductionof national competency-based curricula andemployment focused funding, adult literacy isperceived as being integral to training reformand essential for the long-term unemployed,thereby related to vocational and employmentgoals. So, what does this mean for volunteertutors?

Some adult literacy programs have re-formedthe principle of ‘meeting individual needs’ into‘learning about student interests or concerns’(Mace, 1994) so that literacy becomes a situat-ed practice, embedded within a meaningful,relevant, social activity. This is not easy to dowhen faced with a modular, competency-basedcurriculum which has vocational or employment

focused outcomes, and cost per student contacthour is the basic selection criteria in the ten-dering process. However, if an initial‘Independent Learning Program’ can be fac-tored into the program for each student, theindividual needs of the student can be cateredfor more readily with the support of volunteertutors. But, along with the vocational focus ofprograms came the necessity for accreditation,and this also applied to volunteers.

Increased credentials for volunteersMany of the early volunteer tutor programsstarted from the premise that ‘if you could readyou could help someone else to read’ - an ‘eachone teach one’ approach. Other programsfavoured a more formal approach such as theten hour Mt Gravatt volunteer tutor trainingprogram (Foster and Byrne, 1979), whichcovered affective, cognitive and action compo-nents, backed up with on-going tutor support.However, with the introduction of the nationalreform agenda, all vocational education andtraining (VET) courses and providers had to beaccredited, and all curricula were to becomemodularised, competency based and linked tovocational or employment outcomes. InQueensland, this resulted in the development ofcompetency based adult literacy curricula forthe teaching of adult literacy and the AdultLiteracy Volunteer Tutor Training Curriculum(CN543) for the training of volunteer tutors. Theaim of the Volunteer Tutor Training Curriculumwas to enable trainers to organise a compre-hensive, competency-based training programwhich would provide opportunities for volun-teers to develop the knowledge, attitudes andskills considered most desirable for tutors ofadult literacy students. As opposed to the infor-mality of assessment in the early tutor trainingprograms, volunteers now had to demonstratethat they met the criteria, at the indicated stan-dard, associated with each learning outcome, tobe assessed as competent. From a previouscommitment to a short training course, now aminimum of 100 hours training was requiredover a twelve month period. As will be shown inthe next section, this commitment has had quitea significant impact on the nature of volunteers.

The changing face of volunteerismThe implementation of the new tutor trainingcurricula received a mixed response. Somepractit ioners welcomed the introduction ofaccredited courses and the accreditation ofproviders as bringing some professionalisationto the field. Other practit ioners stronglyopposed the imposition of curricula.

Meeting community literacy needswith volunteers

by Jean Searle

There’s a lot of interference, you’re not freeto deliver individual programs. You have toget by certain regimental sets of guidelinesand rules and things and you know, I find thatvery frustrating. At least when you weredoing it on your own you could serve theperson that you were dealing with and it wasmuch better. (Mavis Cooper, interview,19.4.95)

At this time (1990-1995) as funding for adult lit-eracy programs became tied to vocational andemployment outcomes, many of the volunteertutor programs in TAFE ceased, although sub-sequently they have reappeared. Figuresregarding enrolments, as recorded on the(TAFE) College Administrative Project System(CAPS) database, suggest that in 1995, 621volunteer tutors were working with students,giving a total of 40,975 voluntary studentcontact hours (SCHs). This compared with 849tutors and 80,736 SCHs in 1990. During thistime, many community groups had emerged asliteracy providers using volunteer tutors;however, no comparable statistics were avail-able.

Some program co-ordinators attributed thedecline in the number of volunteers workingwith students in TAFE programs to the changingnature of volunteers. For example, one co-ordi-nator stated that many women who formerlymight have been volunteers ‘are now having toreturn to the workforce... [As a result] it is moredifficult to get volunteers for daytime programsand volunteers do not stay as long - they leavewhen they get paid employment.’ (personalcommunication). Another trend is for people touse volunteering as a first step towards either afurther qualification or paid employment. Forexample, one co-ordinator commented:

Ten years ago it was seen as an adequate,rewarding thing for women to do and todayit’s no longer seen that way. A lot morewomen want something more than a tradi-tional caring role somewhere as a volunteer.Maybe they’re looking for something morechallenging or more rewarding for them-selves. (personal communication)

Another tutor co-ordinator argued that not asmany people in the community were comingforward as volunteers: ‘I used to get 80responses to ads, these days 20 if we’re lucky’(personal communication). Further, co-ordina-tors commented that tutors are not prepared toundertake the amount of training that isrequired. As the curriculum has become moreformal, some tutors have become quite appre-hensive about what is required. Someco-ordinators also question the ethics of requir-ing such a lengthy course before working with astudent. In addition, with the introduction of the

adult literacy curriculum in TAFE, although vol-unteer tutors still play an important preliminaryrole, their support is in the context of workingtowards specified outcomes. In contrast, volun-teers in community programs have retained amore informal approach in which they are moreable to respond more specifically to individualstudent needs.

ConclusionMorris (1991) argued that trained volunteersprovide a flexibility of service in TAFE and com-munity programs which would not otherwise beavailable. In Queensland 1990, the previouslymentioned volunteers would have provided atleast 75,296 hours of student contact. Costingthis at $15 per hour, the monetary contributionwould have amounted to $1,129,440 (Morris,1991:54). It could be argued that volunteertutors provide a cheap alternative to profession-al staff. On the other hand, it is time that allgovernments recognise the vital contribution ofvolunteers in filling the gaps in provision leftwhen governments consistently abrogate theirresponsibilities in the area.

As Charnley and Jones pointed out back in1979, students attend adult literacy programsfor a range of reasons but those related toemployment outcomes do not rate as highly asthose related to the affective areas of adultlearning. Students need to develop a positive,confident view of themselves as learners andhave a similar trust and confidence in theprovider. Not only does this take time, which isnot always available in labour market programs,but this is an area in which individual tuition andthe building of rapport are crucial. It is here thatvolunteer tutors have a vital role to play in over-coming initial barriers to learning. Theappropriate use of volunteers adds an extradimension to programs provided by profession-als. They make it possible to provide a wider,more diverse and responsive service. So, thechallenges to the field are firstly, not to losesight of the needs of the individual student, andsecondly, to work collaboratively, volunteer andprofessional, to keep adult literacy at the fore-front of the nation’s mind.

A full version of this article, including refer-ences, can be found in the archive of LiteracyLinks on the the ACAL web site—http://www.acal.edu.au

Jean SearleSchool of Vocational, Technology & Arts Educ’n

Griffith University

Literacy Link February 2001 15

16 Literacy Link February 2001

AUSTRALIAN COUNCILFOR ADULT LITERACY

President: Geraldine CastletonGriffith UniversityCentre of Literacy and LanguageEducation ResearchNathan QLD 4111ph 07 3875 5925G.Castleton@mailbox.gu.edu.au

Vice Pres: Judy HarwoodAust Student Traineeship Found’nlevel 9, 76-80 Clarence StSydney NSW 2000Ph: 02 9299 5899jharwood@astf.com.au

Immediate Past Pres: Rosa McKenna65 James St, Northcote VIC 3070Ph: 03 9326 8369Ph (a.h): 03 9481 5319mckoz@bigpond.com

Secretary: Erica Daymond18 Waraker Way, Leeming WA 6149

Ph: 08 9458 9644 edaymond@canningcollege.wa.edu.au

Treas: Suzanne Bozorth BainesPO Box 137, Belmont VIC 3216ph 03 5229 0663 kesnsuz@pipeline.com.au

VIC Rep: Michael ChalkFax: 03 9462 6077michalk@vicnet.net.au

NSW Rep: Pat HazellPetersham TAFE27 Crystal St, Petersham 2049ph (02) 9335 2345Pat.Hazell@det.nsw.edu.au

ACT Rep: Christine O'Callaghan16 Brunswick St, Kaleen ACT 2617Ph: 02 6207 4054christine.o'callaghan@cit.act.edu.au

TAS Rep: Liz CooperAdult Literacy TAFEGPO Box 1477 Hobart TAS 7001Ph: 03 6233 6676 coopere@tafe.tas.edu.au

QLD Rep: Jean SearleSchool of Vocational, Technology &

Arts Education, Griffith UniversityNathan QLD 4111Ph: 07 3875 5712 j.searle@mailbox.gu.edu.au

NT Rep: Rae FlanaganNTU, Casuarina NT 0810Ph: 08 8946 6571rae.flanagan@ntu.edu.au

WA Rep: Jim ThompsonSouth Metropolitan College of TAFE15 Grosvenor Street Beaconsfield WA 6160Ph: 08 9239 8271 thompj@fremantle.training.wa.gov.au

SA Rep: Tess WereLiteracy and Numeracy ProfessionalDevelopment ProgrammesPO Box 1872 Adelaide SA 5001Ph: 08 8207 8246Tesswere@tafe.sa.edu.au

ACAL Executive Support: Alex TsakmakisPO Box 2283, Canberra ACT 2601Ph: 03 9326 8369 Fx: 03 9326 8670Mob: 0411 283 163acal@mira.net

ACAL Co-opted Member:Cinthia del GrossoLevel 1, 351 William StreetWest Melbourne VIC 3003

Ph: 03 9320 4242cinthia@tdtaust.com.au

ACTCALPO Box 778 Jamison ACT 2614Helen.cotter@cit.act.edu.au

NSWALNCc/o Leslie Steinemail: leslie.stein@uts.edu.au

NTCALph 08 89 4666rflanagan@ntu.edu.au

QCALPO Box 301 Red Hill Qld 4059Ph: 07 3369 8422www.slq.qld.gov.au/cwpp/qcal/

SACALPO Box 610, Magill SA 5072were@olis.net.auwww.acal.edu.au/sacal/

TCALGPO Box 1477 Hobart Tas. 7001

VALBECvalbec@vicnet.net.auwww.vicnet.net.au/~valbec

WAALC19 Brittain St Como WA 6152grimsh@midland.training.wa.gov.au

l i te racy contact l is ts

“Literacy for sale”

VALBEC Conference

22-23 March 2001

Melbourne

(venue to be confirmed)

Call for papers

contact Don MacDowall

phone 03 9546 6892

email

valbec@vicnet.net.au

CAE library.• CAE-based training and short courseswhich will assist and equip the volunteer in thedelivery of the program.• Personal development• Skill building• Written references• Life experience• Community involvement

Job DescriptionThe volunteer will :• conduct English language sessions underthe guidance of the English as a SecondLanguage Department at the CAE• visit the student at a mutually agreeabletime and place for a minimum of one hour perweek or maximum of two hours per weekbetween 9 - 5 pm Monday to Friday (otherarrangements are independent of the CAE)• give the student prior notice should thesession be cancelled or should you decide notto continue as a tutor• liaise with ESL teacher (your contact

person from the CAE) should you experienceany problems or need support or adviceregarding Program Delivery

Contact Person(s) Volunteers will be assisted and supported by acontact person. Your contact person is a qual-ified English as a Second Language teacheremployed by the CAE.The contact person canassist you with resources, for example, or byoffering suggestions on program delivery, orfacilitating information regarding further edu-cation options for your student.

Paperwork Volunteers will be expected to fill in a TimeSheet giving details of session dates andtimes. These time sheets should be forwardedto the ‘contact person’ at fortnightly intervals.Prepaid envelopes were provided for this purpose.

PostscriptThe English Language Volunteer Home TutorProgram no longer exists due to lack ofresources.

continued from page 5

“Literacy for sale”