Chapter 26

The Tolerable Contradictions of Prior Learning Assessment

PLAR is a way to assess and assign credit for skills and knowledge acquired outside of the classroom.
It is a new way to open up the education system to mature students. The problem with traditional
education theory is that it is designed for learners who are following the traditional life path:
Elementary school, secondary school, university, work, retirement. Before the advent of PLAR, those
who decided to re-enter the education system later in life had jump through same hoops to get
accreditation as young people. This, despite the fact that the adult learner most likely had acquired
knowledge that made some required courses redundant.
PLAR is also very useful in helping new immigrants to assimilate into the Canadian workforce.
Accreditation doesn't travel well. To use the oft cited cliche, a doctor in India might hope to be a taxi
driver in Canada. What PLAR can do is give that doctor the chance to prove that his skills and
education are transferable to Canada. Or, at the very least, allow him to complete Canadian medical
school without having to take redundant courses.
The article focuses on the “tolerable contradictions” of PLAR, of which there are a few.

1. PLAR can appear to undermine the integrity of traditional education. Some educators feel that
awarding credits through PLAR “cheapens” the accreditation. This being said, the author is
aware of no complete programs which can be earned solely through PLAR.
2. PLAR could have the effect of reducing the size of the educational industry. In effect, by
introducing this system, educators are drawing up their own pink slips. If PLAR means that less
courses will need to be taught, then logically, less teachers and staff will be needed. Although,
one could argue that the positions lost to a decrease in courses could be made up for by PLAR
assessment positions.
3. There was originally some debate over whether course credits awarded through PLAR should
be denoted as such on official transcripts. Again, there are two contrasting arguments, which
depend on the prospective employer who is viewing the transcript. On the one hand, someone
who holds a prejudice against or is unfamiliar with PLAR might use PLAR credits on a
transcript as a basis for discrimination. On the other hand, if the person holds a high opinion of
PLAR, they might recognize that the ability to obtain credits in this manner demonstrates a
level of experience and skill that might allow the prospective employee to have an advantage.
4. Another contradiction is the level of acceptance of PLAR among students. They have not, as
was predicted, flooded educational institutions asking for PLAR assessments. The author
hypothesizes that this could be due to distrust of the system by people who have been
conditioned to believe that there is only one way to approach education: the traditional way.

“...PLAR promises to destroy the distinction between education and training”(342) This quote from
the article nicely sums up the author's position strongly in favour of PLAR. He calls it, “...potentially
the most radical innovation in education since the development of mass formal education during the
last century”(330). Like mass formal education, there are some contradictions inherent in PLAR, but
the benefits are innumerable.