Follow-up Bulletin No.

11
May - August 2015
United Nations
Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization

confintea VI

UNESCO Institute
for Lifelong Learning

Foreword
The Belm Framework for Action (BFA), adopted by 144
UNESCO Member States in 2009, underlines that adult
learning and education (ALE) are imperative for the
achievement of equity and inclusion, for alleviating
poverty and for building equitable, tolerant,
sustainable and knowledge-based societies.
In the context of formulating the international
educational agendas for the next 15 years, this
perspective of the BFA is of considerable advantage:
It clearly addresses the contribution of ALE to
sustainable development and provides a concrete
direction concerning the role and function of ALE in
reaching the Sustainable Development Goals in the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in general
and meeting the targets in Goal Four in particular, i.e.
To ensure inclusive and equitable quality education
and lifelong learning opportunities for all.
After adoption of this agenda in September 2015, the
CONFINTEA follow-up work intends to re-position ALE,
aligning it with the post-2015 goals: The CONFINTEA
Mid-Term Review at the end of 2016 will provide a
forum for the international ALE community to assess
the progress made in implementing the CONFINTEA
Recommendations. At the same time, the Mid-Term
Review will synchronise planning and implementation
of further activities within the Belm Framework with
the Incheon Declaration Education 2030: Towards
inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong
learning for all, signed at the end of the World
Education Forum (WEF) in May 2015.
Consequently, the Mid-Term Review will help to further
sensitise decision makers, researchers and practitioners
in UNESCO Member States for the needs of adult
learners with regard to sufficient reading, writing and
numeracy competences, but also concerning necessary
skills in learning areas such as work and employment,
health and wellbeing as well as aiming for gender
equality, global citizenship and a culture of peace and
non-violence.
UIL is part of a strong network of governmental and
non-governmental organisations and institutions as
well as committed individuals in all world regions,

collaborating with the aim to improve learning

conditions for all adult learners, thus helping to
achieve inclusive and equitable quality education
and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all,
in accordance with the new vision for education
formulated in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. ALE represents an indispensable
component of lifelong learning but further efforts
are needed to continue spreading this view among
decision makers worldwide. One such effort is the
planned CONFINTEA Mid-term Review in 2016.
Arne Carlsen
Director, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning

Adult learning for sustainable development:

taking stock of achievements since 2009

Living and learning for a viable future the power

of adult learning was the motto of UNESCOs
Sixth International Conference on Adult Education
(CONFINTEA VI, 2009). Is it still valid in the light of the
new UN development goals? At the 9th World Assembly
of the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE),
which took place in Montreal, Canada, in June 2015,
UIL Director Arne Carlsen announced that the UNESCO
Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) will organize a
CONFINTEA Mid-Term Conference in late 2016. Several
Member States have expressed interest in hosting
this conference, which will review implementation to
date of the recommendations laid down in the Belm
Framework for Action (BFA, 2009). Together with third
Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE
III), which will be published by UIL in 2016, the MidTerm Conference will help to position adult learning
and education (ALE) in relation to the United Nations
forthcoming Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

1 I Follow-up news No. 11 I September 2015

The conference will provide a forum for the international

ALE community to assess achievements made so far
and agree on a road map towards further
implementation of the BFA recommendations.
In its final declaration, the ICAE World Assembly
emphasized that education for sustainable development
is integral for the future and called on the UN Summit
on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (September
2015, New York) to accord priority to universal adult
literacy and adult education. The Director and staff of
UIL highlighted the function of ALE for sustainable
development in several Assembly workshops and
sessions.
Bibliography:
Communities in Action Lifelong Learning for
Sustainable Development. Available at
unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002341/234185e.pdf
2nd Global Report on Adult Learning and Education:
Rethinking Literacy. Hamburg, UNESCO Institute for
Lifelong Learning, 2013. 163 p. Available at
unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002224/222407e.pdf
Global Report on Adult Learning and Education.
Hamburg, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, 2009.
156 p. Available at
unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001864/186431e.pdf
CONFINTEA VI, Belm Framework for Action: harnessing
the power and potential of adult learning and education
for a viable future. Hamburg, UNESCO Institute for
Lifelong Learning, 2010. 38 p. Available from
unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001877/187789m.pdf
International Council for Adult Education (ICAE). The
Right to education and lifelong learning: supporting
materials for advocacy in the post-2015 process.
Montevideo, 2013. Available at
www.icae2.org/images/post2015/guide1EN.pdf
www.icae2.org/images/post2015/guide2EN.pdf
www.icae2.org/images/post2015/guide3EN.pdf
www.icae2.org/images/post2015/guide4EN.pdf

The new UNESCO Recommendation on

Adult Learning and Education (ALE):
how much impact will it have?
Members of the Network on Between Global and Local:
Adult Learning and Development one of the networks
making up the European Society for Research on the
Education of Adults (ESREA) reviewed the process
of revising the 1976 UNESCO Recommendation on
Adult Learning and Education when it gathered for
a conference entitled Perspectives on Community
Practices Living and Learning in Community.

During a panel discussion at this conference, which took

place from 18 to 20 June 2015 in Ljubljana, Slovenia,
the planned adoption of a new, revised recommendation
was welcomed in principle. Werner Mauch (Senior
Programme Specialist at the UNESCO Institute for
Lifelong Learning) described the objectives and current
state of the ongoing revision process;
Marcella Milana (Aarhus University, Denmark) focused
on the proposed new recommendations actualizing,
modernizing, positioning and popularizing elements;
and Carlos Vargas Tames (Deusto University, Spain)
examined conceptual changes and challenges for
implementation. Vida Mohori-polar (University of
Maribor and University of Ljubljana, Slovenia) focused
on the Slovenian context, describing the limited impact
of the 1976 Recommendation on Slovenias ALE policy
and practice as well as the inadequate participation of
relevant players in the consultation process for the new
version.
Participants of the panel discussion agreed that a
new recommendation is needed, especially in order to
underline the contribution of ALE to social development.
They also praised UNESCOs rights-based approach to
education, highlighting the relevance of UNESCOs broad
vision of education and training for adults in current
international discourse.
Bibliography
The Draft UNESCO Recommendation on Adult Learning
and Education, prepared on the basis of comments and
observations on a working draft received from fortyseven Member States is available online at
unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002325/232596e.pdf

Consult UNESCOs Preliminary study on the technical

and legal aspects relating to the desirability of revising
the 1976 Recommendation concerning Adult Education,
2013, for more information on the revision process of
the 1976 UNESCO Recommendation on the development
of adult education, available at
unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002226/222602e.pdf

2 I Follow-up news No. 11 I September 2015

A framework for adult literacy education programs in

the I.R. of Iran
Ms Thi Bao Ngoc Nguyen (Specialist, Ministry of
Education and Training, Vietnam) will develop a
handbook on The sustainability of Community
Learning Centers (CLCs) in Vietnam
Ms Olena Vasylenko (Senior Scientific Researcher,
Andragogy Department, National Academy of
Pedagogical Sciences, Ukraine) will do research in the
area of Non-formal Adult Education Development in
the Ukraine

Examining the adult and non-formal

education sub-sector in Tanzania
In order to identify key issues and challenges in
Tanzanias adult and non-formal education sub-sector
which need to be addressed in the new Education Sector
Development Plan (ESDP 20162025), the Tanzanian
Department of Adult and Non-Formal Education (ANFE)
convened a meeting in Dar-es-Salaam on 12 June 2015.
Participants included 16 senior staff from the
Department of Adult and Non-Formal Education, the
Institute of Adult Education, the Open University of
Tanzania, the Tanzanian Education Network, the School
Inspectorate, the National Literacy Centre Mwanza,
Folk Development Colleges and the Departments of
TVET and Policy and Planning. UIL had requested this
consultative meeting to better understand the current
situation and issues affecting the sub-sector. A lack
of funds thwarted the implementation of a couple of
activities which had been included in the Adult and
Non-formal Education Development Plan 20132016/17,
and most projects are still at pilot stage. A major
challenge is reaching out to a larger proportion of the
out-of-school population while building a learning
system with alternative pathways.

UIL announces the recipients of September

2015 CONFINTEA Scholarships
UIL is pleased to announce the recipients of the
CONFINTEA Scholarships for 2015. The scholarships are
mainly funded by the private donations of the Nomura
Center for Lifelong Integrated Education in Japan, the
British educationist Peter Jarvis and the publisher Taylor
& Francis.
The 2015 CONFINTEA Scholarships have been awarded to
the following people:
Mr Timothy Ireland (Federal University of Paraba,
Brazil) will do research in the area The post-2015
agenda on education and development: what does it
mean for the future of adult education?
Mr Ali Ziyaeemehr (Director of Strategic Research
Department, Ministry of Education, Iran) will develop

The CONFINTEA scholars will work at UIL throughout

September 2015.
General Information about the CONFINTEA Scholarships

CONFINTEA Scholarships, April 2015

Mr Peter Bjrkman
(Botkyrka Library, Sweden)
During his stay at UIL, Mr Peter
Bjrkman drafted a case study
for LitBase, the UIL database of
effective literacy and numeracy
practices. For this case study, he
collected best practice examples
from members of Literacy for
All, a European library network
that Mr Bjrkman helped
establish in June 2014. Mr Bjrkman also assisted Ms
Lisa Krolak, Head of Documentation at UIL, in revising
the International Federation of Library Associations and
Institutions (IFLA) Guidelines for Library-Based Literacy
Programs. Mr Bjrkman was fully funded by a German
Library Association professional exchange programme.
Report: My time as a scholar at the UNESCO Institute
for Lifelong Learning (UIL) Documentation Centre and
Library
Ms Fatime Pamdegue
(Facult des Lettres, Langues,
Arts et Communication,
Universit de NDjamena,
Chad)
Ms Fatime Pamdegue worked
on a research project entitled
Evaluation des comptences
linguistiques: Cas de
lapprentissage due franais
et langues maternelles dans le
systme ducatif tchadien. This project explores reasons
for pupils language difficulties in French and aims to
find effective ways of integrating native languages into
Chads school system. Improving the teaching of native
languages will involve ensuring that these methods are
adapted to the social environment and language variety
of Chad.

3 I Follow-up news No. 11 I September 2015