NIACE representatives attend CONFINTEA VI Monday, November 30, 2009 - 19:37

Across the world representatives of governments, non-governmental organisations, adult learning providers and learners have been preparing to attend an event which only happens every twelve years. CONFINTEA VI - the International Adult Education Conference organised and driven by UNESCO - will take place in Belem do Para in the north of Brazil, until the 4 December 2009.

18 months ago, each member nation was asked to produce a report on the state of adult learning in their country. NIACE wrote the UK report representing activities and developments from all four countries since the last CONFINTEA in Hamburg in 1997. All 156 national reports were written to common themes - representing almost 81% of the countries eligible to participate - and will contribute to a Global Report on Adult Learning and Education.

While there are huge challenges using such vast and varied data sources, there are also undoubted benefits of identifying common values and priorities for action, to support continuing advocacy for adult learning in all its forms and contexts, at an international level.

CONFINTEA holds significance for every provider and practitioner around the world as efforts are made to represent justice, fairness and equity in realising Education for ALL. Whilst every participating country has identified progress and achievements since 1997, each one has also recorded the main challenges they face. Some of the recurring themes are:

Defining ‘adult education':

If we don't have clarity and common understanding on what we refer to as ‘adult education' then we are unable to articulate to policy-makers in a dynamic way. How can we explain that we embrace learning which takes place in health centres, in community development activities, at work, as volunteers, in colleges and universities, in arts and cultural programmes as well as in non-formal and formal learning programmes? Adult learning appears in so many situations and contexts and yet remains largely invisible across the globe. How can we bring the invisible into the spotlight?

Adult literacy:

An unimaginable number of people - 774 million - are classified as illiterate in the world; 64% of them are women. There is popular recognition of the contribution which literate people make to their own livelihoods and countries, yet it remains largely un-noticed by many governments. As one of the key themes of CONFINTEA, it will hopefully be brought out of the shadows and examined. We want international communities to learn from some of the leads taken in the UK, where we have moved from adult literacy projects and initiatives to established and integrated policies.

Policy and finance:

Whilst in the UK there has been a growth in the number of young adults staying in education beyond school with large numbers of adults involved in learning through their work places, policies have led to a reduction in the number of learning places for many adults interested in informal learning. Across the world, an emphasis on learning for and at work - focussing on economic outcomes - distorts the myriad of social, familial and personal benefits which learning can provide. The challenges of convincing governments of the wider benefits of learning, which can reduce health and welfare budgets, increase societal and democratic participation and active citizenship - remain.

Quality:

With the development of Lifelong Learning UK (link) there has been welcome recognition, in the UK, of the important contribution that teachers make to the quality of adult learning provision. Choice and diversity of provision in the UK - the growth in apprenticeships, Train to Gain and the Transformation Fund - have reflected the desire to create opportunities with well-equipped teachers leading the development of curricula and learning strategies. If one wish could be granted at CONFINTEA, it would be for supporting investment to be made for both the initial training and continuing professional development of teachers.

Research:

The constant calls for evidence-based policy decisions are a massive challenge in both industrialised and developing countries. Whilst there is much evidence of the benefits of education and training for individuals and communities, as well as for employment, it is mostly qualitative. Some of the messages do not yet convince employers and learners of the worth of investing both funds and time in education, training and skills development. Studies which endorse the economic benefits must be conducted in order to convince governments and treasuries of the real gains they can expect from investments in adult learning.

Ultimately, participants at CONFINTEA will negotiate the priorities which participating governments and NGOs can agree as an agenda for action over the next decade. However it is worded, the call for action will certainly aim to increase an understanding and acknowledgement of the contributions that lifelong learning can make to both developing and industrialised countries. Those of us fortunate to meet at Belem, carry the responsibility to ensure that such commitments are made in order that education for all becomes closer to being a reality.