The announcement of a Footscray Learning Precinct is exciting news for locals of Melbourne’s inner west.
The Footscray Learning Precinct proposes to link, expand and upgrade learning spaces across the inner west, providing better learning opportunities for students at all ages and all stages of life. The state government’s $15m in funding for this project recognises the value of investing in education and the importance of learning opportunities in local communities.
As the national peak body for Australia’s adult and community education sector we know how important it is to offer people the chance for both lifelong and lifewide learning. We know the positive impact that accessible adult and community learning opportunities have in local communities, when people have a chance to gain new knowledge and skills, make new connections, manage their health and wellbeing and improve their participation in civic and community life.
The precinct is being developed in partnership with Maribyrnong City Council, Victoria University and international education experts who are currently conducting community consultations to get feedback from the community on current plans.
The Footscray Learning Precinct is creating a culture of learning in the local community, which the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning sees as a critical step in the process of building a learning society. “While national governments are largely responsible for creating strategies for building learning societies, lasting change requires commitment at the local level. A learning society must be built province by province, city by city, and community by community.”
Jenny Macaffer, CEO