VOICES RISING
YEAR III - VOL 3. Nº122
February 18, 2005
CONTENT
1.- ADULT EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING: A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
2.- CREATION OF THE WORLD COMMITTEE FOR LIFELONG EDUCATION AND TRAINING
3.- YOU ARE INVITED TO THE GLOBAL MONITORING REPORT LAUNCH!
4.- NOMINATION OF LADY JUSTICE JOYCE ALUOCH TO THE CRC COMMITTEE
5.-TACKLE THE CHALLENGE OF THE RAPIDLY AGEING POPULATION NIACE URGES
6.- NEW PUBLICATION
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1.- ADULT EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING: A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
We would like to share with you the article below, prepared by Paballo Mokenela from
"... Let me take this opportunity to assure ICAE that IALLA was a worthwhile initiative, expecially to me as an upcoming adult educator and learner. I also want to assure you of my high level of interest in promoting and advocating for adult education - and supporting all the activities of ICAE and IALLA. Thank you and all the best of luck in organising IALLA 2005."
ADULT EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING: A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
By PABALLO MOKENELA
There was no indication in September 2003 that I would have achieved so much academically a year later. All I knew was that I had just completed a Degree in Adult Education. That was a miracle for me!
24 years ago I completed my High School education with a General Certificate of Education (GCE). This was a blow to me as well as my parents since we all knew what it meant. I could not access University education - a wish and a dream for every high school pupil and every parent. Despite this disappointment I secured employment as a clerk in one of the Government Ministries. As I carried out my duties, I developed an interest in the tasks performed by the Secretary to the Director. These included typing, taking notes in shorthand, transcribing notes, and using a Dictaphone. So, I enrolled for a Diploma in Secretarial Studies at the then Commercial Training Institute (CTI). After acquiring the Secretarial Diploma I was appointed by the National University of Lesotho (NUL) as a secretary. I worked at the University from 1985 to September 2003.
During the 19 years of my job as a Secretary at NUL I worked closely with academics that were busy with their teaching, research, and community service. My task was to facilitate their work. But how I envied them, knowing that I had missed my opportunity to be one of them because I had not done well in my high school so many years ago!
But, guess what? Today I am working in the Adult Education Department of IEMS, teaching, researching, and doing community service just like them. I have participated in a number of workshops, conducted research locally and internationally, and just got back from the beautiful country of
I had heard about adult education in the past and was fully aware that IEMS at NUL offered adult education programmes. But what had that got to do with me? I was a young woman. Adult education was not for me, but for elderly citizens. This misconception of adult education continues to block the development and growth of many people who do not really understand what adult education is. Fortunately I realised what I was missing before it was too late. I first put my toe into the Adult Education pool by enrolling for the Diploma in Adult Education at IEMS. At that time there still was a preliminary Certificate in Adult Education to be taken, but I was exempted from this because of my Secretarial qualifications. This is a good example of IEMS widening access by being willing to take account of prior learning. I found I liked what I was getting into. I got my Diploma and was able to get onto the Degree in Adult Education which I obtained last year.
My eight -year journey from Secretarial Diploma to Degree had its difficult sections and periods of sheer delight in learning. At every step I was supported by my teachers, my family and fellow students. Thank you IEMS. But, my story is just a tip of the iceberg that represents the scope of adult education. What is adult education and lifelong learning?
Adult Education is education that supplements and complements the conventional or formal education system. It often is the only way people who have left the conventional system can get a second chance to continue with their academic development. However, second chance education in no way is second-class education. It is just as good academically as the conventional system. In fact, adult education has an edge over the conventional educational system because it focuses on developing and improving the lives of all people socially, economically, academically, emotionally, politically, and even spiritually within and outside the four walls of a classroom.
Adult education is a very broad concept defined by various authors in a number of ways. Bamisaiye & Mohasi writing in 1994 viewed it in three ways. They said that adult education can be seen as a programme of activities, a social movement, and an academic study. In all these three cases what is important is that both formal and non-formal adult education is about empowering individuals with knowledge and skills that enable them to perform and function to their full potential in the various spheres that they engage in. It involves teaching and learning that occurs anywhere, anytime. It is lifelong learning.
Lifelong learning is learning that goes on from cradle to grave. People must learn from the time they are born right up to their time of death. A newborn baby learns survival skills such as how to suckle, how to register discomfort, and even how to demand attention. The child going through various developmental stages continues to learn and acquire knowledge and skills to cope and deal with challenges in each stage. The learning process goes on through adulthood and ultimately, as we approach death. Lifelong learning is about the need to learn continuously, to acquire new knowledge, skills and be empowered to cope and deal with various challenges that occur at all the stages of a person’s life. Today people are faced with global challenges. A few of these are the fight against HIV/AIDS, reduction of infant mortality, poverty reduction, gender equity, democracy, and achieving basic and functional literacy. The key to all these problems and challenges lies with Adult education and lifelong learning which provide the means to unlock our knowledge and understanding.
People, irrespective of age, gender, level of education, occupation, and social standing must be empowered with knowledge and skills to deal effectively with all these challenges. There is also an ever-increasing challenge for people in their respective workplaces to cope with the new demands and advancement of technology. This also calls for workers to engage in learning through training programmes that are relevant to their work. This is also another form of adult and lifelong learning. An example is that of a medical doctor who qualified only five years ago but has not participated n any form of continued professional education and training. How capable will that doctor be in dealing and coping with new and emerging epidemic and pandemic diseases? Can the doctor work with the new medical technologies that have become available since she or he qualified ?
This is only an indication of how much lifelong learning is a necessity in any society concerned with the welfare of its members. I hope it sketches a picture of what adult education and lifelong learning are about. Currently, some adult educators are considering a shift from the term “adult education” to “adult learning” because seemingly the word education is associated with the conventional educational system of didactic, classroom instruction. This narrows the scope and complicates the meaning of adult education to those who are not familiar with the concept.
There are a number of formal and non-formal adult educational activities and programmes offered by various institutions in the
The National University of Lesotho, through IEMS, offers formal academic programmes such as Business Management, Mass Communication and Adult Education. It organises and runs tailor-made non-formal training programmes and workshops for institutions and organisation and community members. IEMS is working together with Government, NGOs, CBOs, and other sectors in its quest to bring the University to the people.
This discussion of IEMS leads us to the objective of the International Academy of Lifelong Learning Advocacy IALLA Academy mentioned earlier. The Academy had been organised by the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE) with the objective to increase the capacity of adult educators and social movement activities in advocating and supporting adult learning for change. It also consolidates ICAE as a global network committed to that end. The IALLA meeting I was honoured to be able to attend in
My message, in a nutshell, is that adult education, adult learning, and lifelong learning can help provide the changes required for the development of our country. Many of the developed countries, such as the USA, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Norway, to mention just a few, have used and continue to use these strategies to maintain and sustain development.
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2.- CREATION OF THE WORLD COMMITTEE FOR LIFELONG EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Press release :
World Committee
worldcommittee@yahoo.com
Paris (France) 2005-02-11- The World Committee for lifelong education and training, created on the 30th December 2004, is a non-governmental organisation (ONG) which is registered under the auspices of UNESCO's programmes. Its founders intend to develop the culture for education in society by going beyond the boundaries between initial education and continuous training, between general and professional training, and between formal and informal education. The committee includes those responsible for training, company directors, researchers, teachers, elected members,from many countries and from all sectors of civil society. The executive board, presided over by Yves ATTOU, an expert in ! lifelong education, has received the support of Michael OMOLEWA, President of the General Conference of UNESCO. This initiative is in response to "the Call to action and to responsibility", launched by the International Conference on Adult Education organised in Bangkok by UNESCO's Institute for Education in Hamburg, from the 6th to the 11th September 2003.
Contact : worldcommittee@yahoo.com
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3.- YOU ARE INVITED TO THE GLOBAL MONITORING REPORT LAUNCH!
gmr invite
gmrinvite@wedo.org
You are invited to the Global Monitoring Report Launch!
Thursday, March 3, 6 to 8 pm
Express Bar, UN General Assembly Building
Please join us for the launch of WEDOs Global Monitoring Report, Beijing Betrayed, a worldwide appraisal of governments by women, on Thursday, March 3, from 6 to 8 pm at the Express Bar, General Assembly Building (United Nations Headquarters, 46th St and First Ave, visitors entrance). This launch is part of the ten-year review of the Beijing Platform for Action at the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
Prepared by WEDO in collaboration with womens groups around the world, the report looks at governments successes and failures in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action. Womens voices from nearly 150 countries in every region of the world are presented in 17 sub-regional reports and global trends are highlighted, documenting the experiences and status of the worlds women today. Beijing Betrayed stands in contrast to the reports by governments submitted to the UN and describes womens lives and experiences in their own words.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Please RSVP to gmrinvite@wedo.org by February 24th. Please indicate whether you are accredited to the UN or not as we will have to provide an invitation list to security to enable those without credentials to enter the building.
Yes, I will attend ___
No will not attend ___
Name:
Organization:
Accreditation?
Yes ____
No ____
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4.- NOMINATION OF LADY JUSTICE JOYCE ALUOCH TO THE CRC COMMITTEE
Source: Millie Odhiambo, Executive Director, The CRADLE - The Children's Foundation, Kenya
millie.odhiambo@thecradle.org
The Government of Kenya has forwarded the name of Hon. Lady Justice Joyce Aluoch to the CRC Committee for renomination. Hon. Lady Justice Joyce Aluoch has served in the Committee as the vice chair. She is renowned for her efforts to promote the rights of women and children, and set you the family division of the High Court of Kenya. Kindly urge your government to support her candidature.
Her profile, please contact:
millie.odhiambo@thecradle.org
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5.- TACKLE THE CHALLENGE OF THE RAPIDLY AGEING POPULATION NIACE URGES
PRESS RELEASE
14th February 2005
PR04/05
Ed Melia
Over the next decade there will only be enough young people to fill just one in three of all new and replacement jobs. A new policy discussion paper from the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) argues that a fresh approach is needed from policy makers, educational providers and workplaces to cope with the implications of a rapidly ageing population.
The paper, Demography and Older Learners, edited by Alan Tuckett and Alec McAulay, with contributions from Stephen McNair, Tom Schuller, Jim Soulsby and Judith Summers, discusses how two out of every three jobs will have to be drawn from an increase in the numbers of women in the workforce, further net in-migration and predominantly older people returning to work or staying in employment longer than they had expected to.
While there is a welcome Government focus on upping the quality of life for older people, which is beginning to include the place of education in helping to secure that, the paper illustrates how more enlightened policies for today's older people are not in themselves sufficient to cope with the rapidly changing, but geographically diverse, demographic structure of this country.
Alan Tuckett, Director of NIACE, said, An education system that is primarily focussed on young people has set itself an enormous challenge. What has become blatantly clear is the need to pay attention to older people, as these are the adults who will fill two out of every three jobs over the next ten years. For work, and for national and individual economic benefits, for an enriched life and for the good of your health, learning offers benefits in older life. All of us can look forward to extended lives after work where we shall want to live stimulating lives. But that case needs to be made powerfully, and in ways that connect with the lives of older people in
Judith Summers, co-author of Demography and Older Learners, said, The Government's skills strategy simply does not reflect the realities for older adults. If we are to respond to these, there's a vital need to support the many local organisations, both statutory and voluntary, who are working successfully with older adults - including the most marginalised groups - and to spread their experience to others.
Media Contacts
Ed Melia, NIACE Press Officer on 0116 204 4248 or 07795 358 870
Judith Summers on tel: 07971 574115 or email: judithms@freenetname.co.uk
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6.- NEW PUBLICATION
LIFELONG LEARNING IN THE SOUTH: Critical Issues and Opportunities for Adult Education
Rosa Maria Torres
Lifelong learning has been acknowledged as a need and a principle for education and learning systems worldwide, and is being actively embraced by the North for its own societies. However, the learning needs of adults continue to be sidelined or ignored in recent international development initiatives and education policy recommendations for the South, including Education for All and the Millennium Goals. Rosa Maria Torres illustrates the need and opportunities for governments, national societies and the international donor community to re-frame the North-South gap and to re-orient education and learning towards social transformation and human development.
Sida studies NºII
For more information, please contact:
SIDA
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
Address: SE-105 25 Stockholm, Sweden
Visiting address: Sveavagen 20, Stockholm
Tel: +46 8 698 50 00
sida@sida.se
www.sida.se
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The International Gender and Education Office (GEO) of ICAE creates
VOICES RISING
Email: voicesrising@icae.org.uy
Web: www.icae.org.uy
Tel/fax: 00 5982 401 00 06
Address: Acevedo Diaz 1600 / 1002.
11200 Montevideo,