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The Information update
on the second day (8
October 2008)
The CONFINTEA VI
Preparatory Conference
for Asia and the
Pacific, Korea, 6-8
October 2008
By: Yanti Muchtar and
Yoko Arai
Español
7 October 2008
The objective of the
second day were (a) to
discuss policies,
governance and financing
that were presented by 4
speakers from Korea,
Kyrgyzstan, Thailand,
and Mr. Edicio de la
Torre, President of ENET
Philippine and (b) to
discuss and distill
recommendations,
strategies and
benchmarks that have
been resulted from the
conclusions of the
previous day for a
renewed course of action
in adult learning and
education (ALE,
particularly in the five
keys of areas of the
CONFINTEA VI (policies,
financing, monitoring
tools, inclusion, and
participation).
The
sessions of the second
day were:
a.
Morning session
consisted of :
(a) Plenary Presentation
on Policies, Governance
and Financing with 4
speakers.
(b) Plenary Presentation
on Participation and
Inclusion for Equity and
Sustainable Development
with 5 speakers.
(c) Panels on specific
themes and discussions –
4 parallel panels, each
with 3-4 panelists.
(i) panel 1:
Quality and relevance of
adult education in the
learning society
(ii) panel 2:
Literacy and other key
competence to build
equitable societies and
promote sustainable
development
(iii) panel 3:
Improvement of delivery
mechanism for lifelong
learning
(iv) panel 4:
Assessment,
accreditation and
equivalence
b.
Afternoon session
consisted of (a)
Discussion on
recommendations,
strategies and
benchmarks –group
discussion according to
the sub region: South
Asia, Southeast Asia,
East and Central Asia,
and the Pacific (c)
Presentation on the new
trend and cases of adult
learning in the Republic
of Korea and (d) Short
report on group
discussions (Plenary).
The Session’s results
were:
a.
The key issues of CONFINTEA VI (policies, governance and
financing) have been
discussed by different
perspectives, from the
developed countries
perspective such as
Korea, the developing
countries perspective
such as Kyrgyzstan, and
the NGOs perspective.
Three presentations from
the government
delegations (Korea,
Thailand, and
Kyrgyzstan) described
how their governments
have developed policies,
good governance and
proper budget allocation
for adult education
program in their
countries. While the NGO
which was represented by
Edicio de la Torre saw
the governments should
accommodating the civil
society inputs in
developing policies for
Adult Education
particularly in the
context of
decentralization where
the local governments
have more autonomy to
regulate their education
policies and
implementation.
b.
The inputs for the draft document of the Asia Pacific Context
and Recommendation that
was resulted in the
first day (6 October
2008) have been given by
the panel discussions
findings.
c.
The Inputs will be used by the drafting committee to finalize
the draft.
In this conference,
NGOs
as observers have tried
to bring up the civil
society’s concerns on
adult learning and
education therefore the
recommendations will be
more pro poor, women,
marginalized group,
indigenous communities,
and disadvantaged people
and groups. These
efforts
have been done
intensively by
participating actively
in plenary, group
discussions and drafting
process. This
intervention to
some
extent has accommodated
the
civil society’s
perspectives
in gender issues,
financing issues,
quality adult learning
and education in the
formal document.
..
Information Update
CONFINTEA VI Preparatory
Conference for Asia and
the Pacific
6-8 October 2008, Seoul,
the Republic of Korea
By: Yanti
Muchtar and Yoko Arai
Español y
Português
CONFINTEA VI will be
preceded by five
Regional Preparatory
Conferences, which are
programmed in relation
to the overall thematic
focus, however adapted
to the respective
regional specificities.
The regional conference
will discuss and
validate the respective
Regional Synthesis
Report (prepared on the
basis of national
reports on the
development and state of
the art of adult
learning and education),
identify the key issues
on adult learning and
education in the region,
and suggest key
recommendations and
benchmarks for adult
learning and education
for CONFINTEA VI.
The Regional
Preparatory Conference
for Asia and the Pacific
has been scheduled to be
done from 6 to 8 october
2008 in Seoul (Republic
of Korea) which is
organized in cooperation
with the Korean National
Institute for Lifelong
Education (NILE) on
behalf of the Government
of the Republic of
Korea, the UNESCO
Regional Office for Asia
and the Pacific in
Bangkok and the UNESCO
Office in Beijing. Each
Member State in the Asia
and Pacific Region is
invited to send a
delegation of at least
three persons.
Considering the
wide-ranging nature of
learning and education
for adults, the
composition of the
delegation should, if
possible (a) be multi-sectoral
and (b) represent
different categories of
partners: government
agencies, non-government
and civil society
organizations, research
communities and the
corporate sectors. The
organizer committee also
invites observers from
some organizations
including international
non governments and
networks operating at
regional and
sub-regional levels in
Asia and Pacific. ASPBAE
and ICAE participate in
this Regional
Preparatory Conference
as observers.
The conference
has been started since 6
October 2008 at Sheraton
Grande Walkerhill,
Seoul, Korea and it will
be closed at 8 October.
This report is an
information update of
the conference.
5 October 2008
CSO
Strategizing Meeting for
CONFINTEA VI Preparatory
Conference for Asia and
the Pacific
This
meeting was initiated
and led by ASPBAE which
aimed to (a)
orient/update on the
conference (b) agree or
common lobbying points
for the Conference (c)
map out
space/opportunities for
lobbying during the
event and agree on CSO
lobbying strategies and
(d) define modes of CSO
coordination during the
event. This meeting was
attended by Adama Ouane,
Director of UIL, and CSOs
delegations including
GEO-ICAE. Adama shared
and updated the
Conference in terms of
the goals, the key
issues, the mechanism,
and the drafting
committee. The policy
brief of ASPBAE was
discussed in this
meeting.
The meeting agreed on
(a) ASPBAE would lobby
to be a drafting
committee member from
CSO (b) Lobbying points
for the drafting
committee and (c) 6
CSO’s recommendations on
policies and action in
adult learning and
education in Asia and
Pacific including
recommendation on
gender, migrant, and
people in conflict and
disaster areas and (d)
coordination modes
during the event.
Based on this meeting,
the team of GEO-ICAE
(Yoko and Yanti)
prepared the documents
of ICAE and GEO to be
shared to the chairs,
the drafting committee
members and participants
during the event and
discussed the strategies
to use the advocacy
spaces during the event
for bringing up
recommendations from
ICAE and GEO-ICAE as
well as ASPBAE as a
regional network in the
Asia and Pacific region.
6 October 2008
The objective of the
first day of the
Conference was to (a)
set up the Conference
Bureau consisted of
Chair, Vice Chairs and
Chair and Members of the
Drafting group (b)
reflect on the presented
regional synthesis
report and come up with
the key contextual
issues, challenges on
and implications for
adult learning and
education (ALE) in the
region, particularly in
the five key areas which
will be addressed by
CONFINTEA VI: policies,
financing, monitoring
tools, inclusion, and
participation.
The sessions of the
first day were:
a.
Morning
session:
(a) Opening Ceremony (b)
Setting up the
Conference Bureau: Chair
and Vice Chairs, and the
Drafting Committee (c)
key note address by Ms
Khuning Kasama Varavarn
from Thailand (d) the
Presentation of the
regional synthesis
report on adult learning
and education in Asia
and the Pacific region
by Mr. Manzoor Ahmed.
b.
Afternoon
session:
Discussion of key
issues, trends and
challenges (group
discussion in 4 sub
region: South Asia,
Southeast Asia, East
Asia, and the Pacific
and short report on
group discussion in
plenary).
The session’s results
were:
a.
The meeting has elected
the Conference Bureau as
follows:
(1)
Chair : Mr. Ahn Byong
Man from Korea
Vice
Chairs: Delegation Heads
of India and Cambodia
(2)
Chair of the Drafting
Group: Dame Lady Carol
Kidu from Papua New
Guinea
Members:
-
Government Delegation
member from Korea, New
Zealand, Sri Lanka,
Indonesia, Kazakhstan
-
Manzoor Ahmed (the
synthesis report writer)
-
ASPBAE from the CSO.
b. The
key issues, trends and
challenges have been
discussed and
highlighted. CSOs
contribution was
significant especially
in bringing up the
important issues that
have not been touched by
the regional synthesis
report and formal
government presentations
such as the importance
of the civil society
monitoring tools, gender
issues, the education
needs of the migrant and
people in conflict
areas.
The
CSOs interventions that
have been done during
the first day of the
conference were:
(a)
To lobby the delegates
and UNESCO to propose
ASPBAE to be a drafting
member. ASPBAE has been
elected as a drafting
member who is
represented by Maria
Khan.
(b)
To influence the
discussions and the
results by bringing up
CSO’s recommendations
and participating
actively in all sessions
especially in group
discussions.
(c)
To distribute and share
the CSOs documents to
the Chair and members of
the Drafting Committee.
The GEO-ICAE documents
and ASPBAE document have
been shared to the
Chair, Vice Chairs, and
the drafting group
(Chair and the
members). Especially
for GEO-ICAE documents,
Yoko had made book marks
and stickers to be
distributed with the
documents. These
advocacy medias have
helped very much in
attracting the
participants to read the
documents.
In the first day, CSOs
delegation led by ASPBAE
has done a coordination
meeting in the late
afternoon to update the
conference situation,
advocacy spaces for the
CSOs in the second day,
and the effective ways
to influence the meeting
outcomes.
--
Dear friends,
I would like to share
with you the letter
below, we have just
received from Don Bonyo,
a graduate from ICAE
Academy of Lifelong
Learning Advocacy and Programmes
Manager of DARAJA CIVIC
INITIATIVES FORUM
regarding the Africa's
Civil Society Summit to
be held before the
CONFINTEA VI Preparatory
Regional Conference in
Africa.
Warm regards,
Marcela Hernández
ICAE
Dear EFA campaigners,
On behalf of Elimu Yetu
Coalition's pre-CONFINTEA
VI working team, we send
greetings from Kenya to
all of you.
It is exactly one month
to the Pre-CONFINTEA VI
Africa Regional
Conference to be held in
Nairobi Kenya and plans
are at an advanced stage
in Kenya towards hosting
the conference. Kenya's
Ministry of Education
through the Directorate
of Adult and Continuing
Education is leading the
planning process
together with UNESCO's
Nairobi office. Elimu
Yetu Coalition and
ANCEFA are members of
the planning committee
representing the Civil
Society Organizations.
On the other hand, Elimu
Yetu Coalition has also
put in place a committee
to plan for the pre-CONFINTEA
VI Africa's Civil
Society Summit to be
held between Monday 3rd
November and Wednesday 5th
November 2008 in
Nairobi.
Aware that not all CSOs
will be part of
respective government
delegations to the
regional conference;
Aware that not all the
African Countries held
National Conferences to
validate each country's
report; and also Aware
that many CSOs in the
continent have no
information in regards
to the process of
developing and
synthesizing Africa's
Report for CONFINTEA VI,
Elimu Yetu Coalition
finds it appropriate to
convene Africa's Civil
Society Summit with the
main objective of
consolidating the Civil
Society's Position on
all the thematic areas
of focus during Africa
Region's pre-CONFINTEA
VI conference.
The purpose of this
e-mail is to add our
voice to the on-going
communication among the
Civil Society actors
within Africa and beyond
in regards to CONFINTEA
VI. This e-mail further
serves the purpose of
informing all other EFA
networks and partners
that Elimu Yetu
Coalition will be
sending regular updates
to the CSOs in regards
to the plans, programmes
and other arrangements
in Kenya as pertains to
the forthcoming regional
conference.
For the Africa Civil
Society Summit, could we
get your thoughts on
this, particularly in
regards to those CSOs
left out of their
respective government
delegations but are
still capable of
travelling to Nairobi
for the Civil Society
Summit; those who are
not able to come and are
keen on making
submissions/contributions
through e-mail or any
other possible channel
, and further what
strategies we need to
put in place in advance
to ensure that the Civil
Society is given
adequate representation
within the UNESCO led
conference and that the
CSOs session, within the
same conference is
slotted sufficient time
in the programme.
We hope for your
responses and kindly
copy all communications
to Elimu Yetu
Coalition's current
official e-mail address
which is;
info@elimuyetu.net.
The officer in-charge of
Elimu Yetu's Secretariat
is Ms. Isabella Osoro
who will equally send
you regular updates
while at the same time
respond to your
enquiries as appropriate
as possible.
Kindly share this
communication with other
EFA coalitions/networks
in the continent..
Regards,
Don Bonyo
Programmes Manager
--
DARAJA CIVIC INITIATIVES
FORUM
Langata Rd, Child
Welfare Society of Kenya
Building, 1st Flr.
P O Box 6570-00100
Nairobi, Kenya.
Telefax: (020) 60 36 90
Cell Phone Nos: +254 720
299100 & 734 950877
Website:
www.darajacif.org
ICAE PHOTOS
FINAL
DOCUMENT OF THE REGIONAL
CONFERENCE in Latin
America and the
Caribbean on literacy
and preparing for the
CONFINTEA VI
Unofficial version
RECOMMITING TO LIFELONG
LEARNING:
Proposals
from Latin America and
the Caribbean
GENERAL
CONSIDERATIONS
"From literacy to
lifelong learning" is
the great challenge
which this Regional
Conference poses for us.
In other words, the
challenge to advance
from initial literacy
which is the way in
which literacy for youth
and adults continues to
be understood in many
countries of the region
to a broader vision and
educational provision,
which includes teaching
at the same time as it
recognizes and validates
learning acquired, not
only as adults, but also
throughout our life: in
the family, in the
community, at work, by
means of the media,
through social
participation and by the
very exercise of
citizenship.
Education is a
fundamental right, a key
which gives access to
other basic human rights,
such as health, housing,
work and participation,
among others, whilst
also making it possible
to accomplish global and
regional or local
agendas for development.
This implies recognising
that we are facing a
paradigm which conceives
the human being as the
subject of education, as
someone who has singular
and fundamental
knowledge, creator of
culture, protagonist of
history, capable of
producing those urgent
changes, necessary for
building a more just
society.
A conception that
contemplates not only
formal education but
also incorporates and
revalues non-formal and
popular education, and
that surpasses the
individualistic vision
of learning when it
proposes the social
construction of
knowledge in learning
communities which
promote intercultural,
intergenerational and
intersectorial meetings
and environment
protection..
In this perspective,
literacy is the
necessary but not
sufficient, point of
departure which permits
that each and every
person, in the twenty
first century, continue
and complement their
learning throughout life
and thus exercise their
rights as citizens.
THE SPECIFICITY AND
HETEROGENEITY OF THIS
REGION
Latin America and
the Caribbean is a
profoundly heterogeneous
region with great
specificities, made up
of 41 countries and
territories, in which
some 600 languages are
spoken. It is formed by
very different
realities, including
that of education and
more specifically that
of adult and youth
education. This
diversity between and
within countries
requires caution when
generalizations are made
and demands important
investments in the
diversification,
elaboration and
improvement of policies
and programmes for very
different contexts and
specific groups, which
take into consideration
other differences: age,
race, gender, territory,
language, different
capacities and culture.
It is also the most
unequal region in the
world, with 71 million
persons living in
extreme poverty and a
further 200 million in
poverty. Educational,
political, economic and
social exclusion are all
faces of the same coin.
Youth and a adult
education is part of
this issue which
understands education as
a fundamental tool for
combating poverty and
social exclusion, but
also recognises the
impossibility of
education alone offering
solutions for these same
questions, without
undertaking structural
changes and without the
convergence of other
policies.
The diverse
socioeconomic, ethnic
and cultural contexts of
the region pose a broad
set of obstacles to
literacy and other forms
of learning for youth
and adults. Among such
factors we include
unemployment, social
exclusion,
communications,
migration, violence, the
disparities between men
and women, all of which
are broadly linked to
structural poverty. This
situation has been
recently aggravated by
the food and energy
crises and by climatic
changes.
ADVANCES
After a period of
stagnation during the
90?s, on the part of
Governments and
international
organizations, youth and
adult education has, in
recent years, achieved
renewed impulse in the
region. Significant
advances have been made
at the legislative and
policy level in the
majority of countries,
with regard to the
recognition of the right
to education, as well as
with respect to their
linguistic and cultural
diversity. Literacy
plans, programmes and
campaigns have been
reactivated in the
national and
international agendas.
At the same time,
provision for completing
and certifying primary
and secondary education
for youth and adults has
been institutionalized,
which in some cases has
been linked with
vocational training
programmes.
The provision of
non-formal education has
grown considerably,
covering a diversity of
topics linked to rights,
citizenship, health,
intra-family violence,
HIV and AIDS, protection
of environment, local
development, social and
solidarity economy, etc.
Advances in gender
parity have been
achieved in some
countries. There has
also been a growth in
the attention given to
special groups such as
migrants and prison
inmates. The use of ICTs
and audiovisual tools
has been introduced in
the field of youth and
adult education, in some
cases with investments
and interventions by
governments and by means
of international
cooperation.
In a few countries,
youth and adult
education has achieved
important advances in
terms of the
construction of systems
of information,
documentation,
monitoring and
evaluation of
programmes. We also note
a growth in research
both at national and
regional level in recent
years. South-South
cooperation has been
developed in many of
these fields with
diverse forms of
regional and sub
regional initiatives.
CHALLENGES
In spite of all
this, each one of these
advances presents, at
the same time, new and
old challenges. The
distance between
legislation and policies
and what has actually
being achieved,
continues to be great.
This implies the need
for more participatory
ways of constructing
policies and for greater
social vigilance by
civil society in general
and on behalf of the
beneficiaries of youth
and adult education in
particular.
The coverage of these
programmes, including
those provided by
governments, continues
both to be very limited
when faced by the
existing demand, and to
marginalize rural,
indigenous and
afro-descendant
populations, migrants
and prison inmates with
special education
needs, maintaining or
even deepening the gap
rather than reducing it.
The strategy to
integrate youth and
adults in the same
denomination cannot
allow us to loose sight
of the specificities and
challenges of each age
group, considering that
youth constitute a
majority in the region.
At the same time, the
priority given to
educational provision
for certain age groups,
in general up to 35 or
40 years of age, leaves
out older segments of
the population and thus
denies them their right
to education whilst
contradicting the
adoption of the paradigm
of lifelong learning.
The diversification and
decentralization of
educational provision
requires coordination
and articulation amongst
the diverse actors
national and local
governments, civil
society, trade unions,
churches, private
enterprises,
international
organizations, among
others.
Gender parity, in
various countries, has
been established as a
necessity, which affects
particularly young women
from indigenous
populations and boys and
young men from the
English-speaking
Caribbean States, from
initial education to
university, and also in
the field of youth and
adult education,
requiring the
implementation of
policies and strategies
of positive action.
There is a need to make
better and more
sensitive use of the new
technologies for
educational purposes and
to learn practical
lessons from the
experience of countries
which have developed
pioneering work in this
field. There is also a
need to advance further
in monitoring and
evaluation, particularly
the evaluation of
learning acquisition,
and to disseminate and
benefit more from the
results of already
existing research, both
for strengthening
policies and for
improving practice.
It is possible to
identify several
unresolved issues, among
which we include:
chronic under-funding
for youth and adult
education, its great
vulnerability in terms
of participation,
institutionalization,
and for the continuity
of policies and
programmes.
In addition, there is a
need to pay special
attention to the
training of youth and
adult facilitators and
educators, and to
research in this field
on pedagogical-didactic
frameworks that respond
to the diverse contexts
and specificities of the
field, with support from
universities.
From the point of view
of its coherence with
equity, there is also
the need to revert
present tendencies by
emphasizing the need for
quality and pertinence
when giving priority and
attention to
territories, sectors and
more disadvantaged
groups, such as the
rural, migrant,
indigenous and
afro-descendant
populations, prison
inmates and people with
special needs.
Strategies and
Recommendations
Recognize that the
fulfillment of the human
right to adult and youth
education is conditioned
by the implementation of
policies which seek to
overcome the profound
economic and social
inequities of countries
in the region.
POLICIES
1.
Recognize youth and
adult Education as a
human and citizens?
right that implies a
greater political will
and commitment from
national and local
governments, in the
creation and
strengthening of quality
lifelong learning
provision, securing that
youth and adult
education develops
policies addressing the
recognition of cultural,
linguistic, racial,
gender and ethnic
diversity, and includes
programs to articulate
vocational training for
dignified work, active
citizenship (human
rights) and peace, so as
to strengthen and
promote community
empowerment.
2. Promote policies and
legislation which
integrate youth and
adult education into the
public education systems
and guarantee their
application whilst
encouraging changes in
those structures which
make them more flexible
and at the same time
adjusting norms to the
creation of citizen
observatories to follow
policies ant the use of
resources.
3. Construct mechanisms
of coordination at
national level to help
establish a
comprehensive policy to
promote intersectorial
and inter-institutional
efforts which articulate
state actions with civil
society actions
(organized social
movements, churches,
trade unions, employers
amongst others) and make
possible a holistic
approach in addition to
follow-ups and social
watch.
4. It is necessary to go
on seeking approaches
which strengthen and
guarantee lifelong
learning, including
literacy and basic
education, the promotion
of reading and a written
culture for the creation
of literate
environments, with
different tools to
overcome inequality and
poverty in the region
and for the creation of
alternative forms of
development. In this
sense, the appreciation
of popular and
non-formal education is
fundamental.
5. Elaborate policies
for initial and
continuing training of
youth and adult
educators and
facilitators with the
participation of
universities, education
systems and social
movements, to raise the
quality of educational
processes and to
guarantee an improvement
in the working and
professional conditions
of educators and school
staff.
FINANCING
6. Recommend more
significant percentages
of national budgets for
education at least 6%
of the GNP and
guarantee within this
budget, specific
resources for youth and
adult education at
least 3% of the
education budget which
allows them to be used
with transparency,
efficacy and efficiency.
7. Guarantee
intersectorial
resources national and
international, from
public and private
funds for youth and
adult education plans,
programmes and projects
with gender perspective
and sensitive to
diversity, which make
possible the development
of positive action
policies and finance
studies which
demonstrate the social
and economic cost of
having huge sectors of
the population without
education, in countries
of the region.
TOOL
8. Develop policies
to support the research
and the systematization
of educational
experiences and to
promote the
dissemination of
knowledge, documentation
and circulation of
relevant practices of
youth and adult
education. Strengthen
Latin American and
Caribbean research
networks in youth and
adult education.
9. Develop an
evaluation, report and
monitoring system with
international parameters
that make possible the
formulation of policies
based on the evaluation
of processes, systems
and methods which
guarantee certification,
accreditation and
recognition of knowledge
and skills.
10. Promote, in an
intersectorial and
interinstitutional way,
the design and
elaboration of written
material in native
language that reflects
the diversity of
peoples? knowledge.
INCLUSION
11. Design and
implement education
policies that favour
inclusion, with gender
equity and quality that
cover, through an
intercultural approach,
different specificities
of all population groups
of the countries of the
region: indigenous,
afro-descendant,
migrant, rural
populations and prison
inmates, with special
education needs.
PARTICIPATION
12. Promote greater
participation and
cooperation between
civil society, private
sector and different
state entities, and,
particularly, subjects
of youth and adult
education, through the
promotion and
strengthening of the
concept of horizontal
cooperation among
countries as well as
strengthening
international
cooperation in favor of
youth and adult
education.
13. Propose UNESCO to
take a central and
relevant role in
guaranteeing the right
to education and, in
particular, coordinating
the goals established in
international
conferences and
monitoring the
achievements.
Español
Regional Conference of
Latin America and the
Caribbean on Literacy,
and Preparatory to
CONFINTEA VI, to be held
in Belem do Para, in
Brazil, in May 2009,
ended on Saturday,
September 13, in Mexico.
Dear friends,
The Regional Conference
of Latin America and the
Caribbean on Literacy,
and Preparatory to
CONFINTEA VI, to be held
in Belem do Para, in
Brazil, in May 2009,
ended on Saturday,
September 13, in Mexico.
This conference is part
of a series of UNESCO
regional conferences to
support literacy around
the world and it was
convened in cooperation
with the Mexican
government.
300 people participated
on behalf of the State
and Civil Society from
more than 30 countries
of the region.
A final document was
prepared and in next
bulletins it will be
available in 4 languages.
Below you will find a
report on the Conference,
prepared by Carmen
Colazo GEO/ICAE where
she provides information
on:
- Roundtable: “Learning
through distance
education and ICTs"
- Roundtable:
“Measurement, follow-up
and evaluation of
literacy and youth and
adult education”.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE
PREPARATORY PROCESS
TOWARDS CONFINTEA VI.
- Roundtable on "Learning
through distance
education and ICTs”
By Carmen Colazo
After the Regional
Report given by Rosa
María Torres, the agenda
of the preparatory
meeting for Confintea VI
"From literacy to
learning for life:
Towards the challenges
of the XXI Century ",
followed with group work
where presentations were
discussed and
contributions were made
by topic and by groups.
On Thursday September
11, at the roundtable on
"Learning through
distance education and
ICT", presentations were
made by country, where
learning experiences
through the use of
different media and the
Internet, were presented.
These lectures were
given by Patricia Ramos
from Mexico, Iole Bogino
from Paraguay, Esmirna
Garcia from Honduras and
Reyna Virginia Alvarado
from Honduras.
Presenters showed how
learning experiences
have been created and
implemented through
booklets, TV, radio or
Internet, for adult
literacy in the region.
They explicitly said
that most users of these
programs were women (almost
80% in each of them).
They also stressed that
these experiences
include, in most cases,
content to teach reading
and writing, but also
learning content for the
lives of people who use
them.
Presenters remarked the
importance of these
methodologies to lower
costs in the learning
process and to reach
more people.
Iole Bogino, from the
organization “SUMANDO”
of Paraguay said that in
Paraguay more than 50%
of the population has
not reached the ninth
grade of basic education.
More than 1,500,000
people in the country
have not completed
primary education.
Therefore, the
organization has
coordinated a modal and
self-organized course to
contribute to literacy
in the country.
She expressed that the
program is also linked
to micro enterprises
that can further turn
into job opportunities
for the participants.
She said that the
program has a face-to-face
part, and another one
using a distance CD. She
believes that in the
seven years that this
program has been working,
it has achieved success
in terms of literacy of
Paraguayan people who
are currently even
taking up university
studies thanks to this
learning process.
Queen Alvarado, from
Honduras, referred to
the importance of South-South
cooperation in Latin
America, particularly,
the cooperation from
Cuba with Honduras. She
referred to a successful
municipal experience,
the project "Yes, I can"
which, according to the
speaker, achieves
reading/writing results,
in the short term.
She said that the
program is being used
mainly by women, who are
raising their self-esteem
and increasing their
empowerment in the
process.
She mentioned that the
program addresses people,
involves government and
civil society, chamber
of commerce and other
organizations.
It has facilitators who
have already undergone a
training process and
have developed 1, 2 and
3 literacy levels and
are now engaging in 4
and 5.
Therefore, in two years,
participants would have
reached 6th literacy
level.
She clarified that, so
far, the program is
successfully working in
300 municipalities in
Honduras.
All panellists
considered that the
sustainability of these
programs is a challenge,
and remarked the
importance of receiving
state support. Likewise,
international
cooperation should value
the importance of these
experiences and
collaborate for the sake
of their continuity.
In the debate it was
discussed whether these
programs use its full
potential to work on
core gender issues with
these female
participants who are, in
their vast majority,
excluded from
development. And it was
also discussed whether
issues such as migration,
sexual and reproductive
health, domestic
violence, precarious
work, the need for
autonomy and empowerment
to participate as active
citizens in the region,
with freedom, were being
dealt with.
Presenters replied that
their programs are
contemplating gender
issues. Anyway, they
clearly showed the
challenge that users,
women in their vast
majority, face to get
the most of these
experiences for the
inclusion of gender
issues and debates about
their realities and the
Latin American reality,
promoting the
interaction through the
use of ICTs, so that
programs are useful for
the lives of these women,
as well as for their
personal and social
development.
- Roundtable 3:
“Measurement, follow-up
and evaluation of youth
and adult education and
literacy”.
Friday, September 12
Panellists: Ms. Maria
Gertrudis Alcaraz,
México
Mr. Joao Pedro Azevedo,
World Bank
Ms. María Eugenia
Letelier, Chile
Mr. Cesar Guadalupe,
UNESCO / UIS.
Discussion on the round
table with Ministers:
Presentation of Mr.
Andre
Lazaro, Secretary of
Continuing Education,
Literacy and Diversity
(SECAD) Brazil.
Dr. Andre Lazaro,
referring to the
presentations of the
roundtable that focused
on the importance of
measurement, follow-up
and evaluation of youth
and adult literacy said
that education should be
understood as a
political process which
must be inclusive. It
should also be a process
that listens to people,
otherwise it will only
be an imposed and
compulsory process, far
from users’ realities.
He expressed that
illiteracy in the Latin
American region is an
indicator of exclusion,
an element that measures
this. But he added that
we could not have the
messianic vision that
with education we will
change everything. He
said that change
requires a comprehensive
work on public policies,
stemming from a
political agenda of
social inclusion.
He said that codes are
being offered to
encourage social
practices, and that this
process is measurable.
But he said that there
is no dichotomous vision
among literate people
and non-literate people,
because the categories
are not static, because
everyone has detectable
abilities that can be
potentiated in a
continuous learning
process.
He said that it is very
important to train
literacy teachers, and
that they should also
have enough elements to
assess the processes
that they undergo with
the literate people.
He noted that few
literacy teachers in the
region known about
evaluation because they
do not have academic
degrees that include
this knowledge, but they
do have a great citizen
capacity that is
transmitted throughout
the process.
He said that the
literacy system in
Brazil comes from civil
society, the result of
many struggles,
articulations, and even
pain, persecutions and
deaths. They have always
been committed political
acts where significant
experiences and
biographies can be
highlighted.
I believe that
articulating youth and
adult learning is a
challenge as well as
further evaluating and
criticizing the related
public policies.
He explained that in
Brazil there is little
evaluation habit.
Instruments that reveal
situations or processes
and results are required
to improve programs in
their process or in
terms of achievements.
He also noted that in
Brazil 75% of people are
enrolled in higher
education of the private
sector.
He said that the policy
of youth and adult
education is different
from that of literacy.
60% of illiterates went
to school, therefore, it
is important to recover
them so that they follow
a lifelong learning
process.
He said that, obviously
school has not been a
friendly place for many
people in the region,
and structural changes
must be made in the
system. It has been a
place of exclusion
rather than inclusion.
He stressed that we must
seek not only knowledge,
but also a degree or
certificate that people
can use to follow
lifelong learning
processes and have
better opportunities.
He expressed that the
difficult part is
finding the way to do
it.
Likewise, he remarked
that, basically, the
State is responsible of
education. The state
must guarantee that the
rights included in the
Constitution turn into
reality.
He said that the black
population is the most
excluded in Brazil, and
that native peoples also
deserve special
consideration and
participation to
develop, implement and
evaluate policies and
lifelong learning.
He said that "education
will not change the
world, but without
education we will not
have changes”. Likewise,
he put emphasis on the
responsibility of the
state – not of the
people who are often
blamed for their
situation – of
guaranteeing the right
to education for all,
not only for those who
can reach a certain
level of education or
learning, and that the
state must commit itself
through the political
will to promote social
inclusion through
education and other
human and social
development strategies.
He expressed that the
permanent monitoring and
evaluation should be
done not only on
education policies but,
above all,
comprehensively on all
policies, to analyze
processes, results, and
to identify changes and
adjustments during this
path to get efficient
and effective policies
in the state and the
region.
Regional Conference in
Latin America and the
Caribbean on literacy
and preparing for the
CONFINTEA VI
French, portugues and
spanish below – français,
Espagnol et portugais
ci-dessous – Frances,
español y portugues
adjunto
Report on the
Preparatory Regional
Conference of CONFINTEA
VI
By Celia Eccher, ICAE
Secretary General
Mexico, September 11,
2008
Working sessions at the
Preparatory Regional
Conference of CONFINTEA
VI, in Mexico, started
with a controversial
presentation of Rosa
María Torres who made
some statements that
many of us thought were
very appropriate but
also generated opposite
reactions on others who
argued heatedly.
I would like to share
with you some of the
statements we’ve heard.
The document will be
available soon, so that
you can form your own
opinion.
The first statement is
that the region did not
adopt the shift of
Hamburg paradigm:
Lifelong Learning. The
region talks about Youth
and Adult Education,
among many other terms.
Then world trends
between Hamburg and
Brazil were briefly
analyzed:
- Poverty and extreme/abject
poverty
- Violence, intolerance
and war
- Migration and
xenophobia
- Food crisis
- Environmental crisis
- Digital gap
- Unemployment
In 10 years, this world
will not be desirable
for most of the world
population and the hope
is weaker.
In the shift of paradigm
from education to
lifelong learning (LLL),
we tend to mistake LLL
for Youth and Adult
Education without
realizing that Youth and
Adult Education is just
a part of LLL.
Analyzing the Education
for All (EFA) goals, the
comment was that goals
are reducing and
deadlines are being
extended, recalling that
EFA goals come from 1990
and that goals had to be
renewed in Dakar in 2000
because they had not
been accomplished. For
18 years, we’ve been
trying to accomplish
goals and putting
emphasis on girls and
boys, knowing that those
goals cannot be
accomplished without
Youth and Adult
Education, because
parents, teachers are
adults. We cannot opt
between adults and boys
and girls.
Then it was mentioned
that while the North
adopts lifelong learning,
the South considers 4
years of primary
education as a goal.
I remember the famous
phrase coined in Bangkok
during the Confintea V +
6:
"No more lifelong
learning for the north
and literacy for the
south"
Likewise in Bangkok, it
was realized that there
hadn’t been any progress,
instead, there was a
risk of moving backwards.
Education is not helping
to reduce inequality,
instead, it is
reinforcing and
perpetuating inequality.
And “I am not the one
who said this, this is
being said by ECLAC,
Unesco, OREALC” affirmed
the presenter.
But the good news is the
reactivation of Youth
and Adult Education.
Governments had been
discouraged by the World
Bank proposal, which now
recognizes that we must
return to Youth and
Adult Education.
Another positive aspect
is the expansion,
greater access to ICTs
as well as increased
recognition of Youth and
Adult Education in laws
and policies.
CHALLENGES
• A new vision of the
subject: from the
lacking and
disadvantaged, poor and
ignorant person who has
nothing to a person who
has rights and can
recreate knowledge that
is fundamental for human
life and planet
preservation.
• The advocacy on
education policies,
promoting the exercise
of citizenship by
persons who have the
right to education. This
exercise is encouraged
from social
organizations, movements,
communities.
• The title of this
conference: from
literacy to lifelong
learning fits very well
in the region where
literacy is oversized.
• What does the shift of
paradigm mean for the
South and for this
region?
We tend to visualize it
as a long thread,
however, lifelong
learning is circular for
example when I become a
grandmother I've not
reached the end, I’m
starting over and I have
lessons to learn that
are then reverted in our
grandchildren.
Another allegation is
that not all learning
stems from Education.
If we want to exert
influence on education
policies we have to know
clearly that we must
influence on social and
economic policies, we
must work in politics
and in the political
struggle.
She concluded recalling
the legacy of Paulo
Freire, basically
pointing out that all
education is political.
Through these fragments
of the presentation that
I was able to recover
from my notes, I’ve
tried to share, with all
those who were are not
at the conference, some
of the issues raised.
In group work the
assertion that there we
are moving backwards
when many countries
presented the advances
attained (although it
was admitted that we
still need to progress),
was strongly questioned.
Another criticism is
that financing for
education was not
mentioned.
After the synthesis of
Rosa Maria Torres, came
the group work. Below I
would like to share the
summary of the
discussion held in one
of the groups, Group B,
whose rapporteur was
Jorge Luiz Teles from
Brazil.
All these contributions
go to a drafting
committee that will
submit its first draft
for the final document
of this conference, on
Saturday, September 13.
Group B Debates
First comment: Gender
Gender is not just about
two or only women. It is
a variable that works
masculinity and
femininity. Men in
Anglophone Central
America may be
disadvantaged in terms
of education, but
indigenous and black
women are the most
disadvantaged and
discriminated ones. We
cannot simplify reality,
even in terms of gender
(it crosses class system,
race, etc.). We must
address this issue in
all its complexity. It
needs more comprehensive
views on oppression
systems.
Second comment: the
idea of functional
literacy. Literacy
should be seen as higher
in Anglophone Central
America.
Young men in Anglophone
Central America present
more problems.
Functional Literacy does
not favour the access to
professional/vocational
training.
The problem of dropouts
- young people who leave
school early.
Lack of capacity.
Unemployment and
employment with low
wages. Low education and
functional literacy.
Difficulty of access to
vocational training.
Problems of quality that
do not allow continuity.
Third intervention:
Unesco needs to pay more
attention to micro and
small enterprises.
More assistance and
qualification for these
groups. More support and
subsidies for
development in areas
where they are working.
Fourth intervention:
illiteracy and abject
poverty.
Even among poor people
there are groups that
are more marginalized
and receive less care –
indigenous people,
prostitutes, peasants,
fishermen, etc.
The problem of literacy
campaigns: people become
illiterate again.
Learners have no access
to the world of reading.
They are excluded form
the literacy world. A
broader policy is needed
that includes more
people in the world of
reading.
We need sustainable
policies that provide
access to the world of
reading. A permanent
program that elaborates
reading materials is
needed, as a way to
progress in the world of
reading.
Fifth intervention:
education and work.
Challenges we have to
face from now on.
Sixth intervention:
We are not so bad.
There is progress.
Progress should be
emphasized.
There are no experiences,
we need to give examples
of countries.
Seventh intervention:
the huge problem of
functional illiteracy.
The gap between learning
level and the degree
level. How to recognize
the practical knowledge
and to advance n the
theoretical knowledge?
What for?
Which is the state's
capacity to offer an
education that meets the
demand, mainly in terms
of careers?
There is no career where
graduates are Doctors in
Adult Education. There
are problems in
professional/vocational
training in the area of
adult education.
Unesco has to think more
about the professional/vocational
training of
professionals for youth
and adult education.
Bilingual education.
Scope of population from
the countryside and
within countries.
Literacy is also a
problem in developed
countries.
Literacy is not a
priority of countries.
Literacy is not
receiving enough
resources.
The problem of pedagogic
methodologies and the
challenge of digital
inclusion. New digital
and information
technologies and
distance education.
The problem of
restrictions on
education supply and the
solution through
distance education. The
need to train educators
to work with distance
education for youth and
adults.
EPJA remains marginal
and not recognized as
policy by governments.
Question for all: Why
isn’t EPJA a priority
government policy?
The need for a pedagogy
of diversity.
Problems of internal and
external migration in
relation to
methodologies that
consider its
specificities.
Acknowledgement of
knowledge versus
discrimination.
Illiterate people are
not “lacking” people,
but holders of important
knowledge.
Informal economy must be
reviewed in comparison
with the discussion on
training for work,
mainly in contexts of
poverty.
Media and discussion of
the topic:
democratization and
transparency.
We should teach students
how to study.
Integral or
comprehensive and
continuous training.
Training at work.
The need for continuity
of policies.
Learning and education:
more discussion of
didactic and pedagogic
issues – materials, etc.
Little reflection on
contents. Too much
attention on
quantitative issues
instead of documents -
which are from
governments rather than
countries.
The problem of
occurrence. Which are
the indicators?
Need for more
comprehensive views on
oppression systems.
Second comment: the idea
of functional literacy.
Problems of quality that
do not allow continuity.
Groups that are more
marginalized and worst
treated.
Need for a broader
policy to include in the
world of reading.
Gap between learning
level and degree level.
How can we recognize the
practical knowledge and
advance in the
theoretical knowledge?
Unesco should further
think about vocational/professional
training for youth and
adult education.
Bilingual education.
Need for training for
trainers/educators to
work on distance
education for youth and
adults.
Need for a pedagogy of
diversity.
Need for continuity of
policies.
Advancing in a pedagogy
of diversity that
considers, in detail,
the issues of gender,
ethnicity, race, etc.
and other discriminated
groups.
Recognition of diversity
in education policies
that cover the issues of
gender, ethnicity, race
and other discriminated
groups, considering
multicultural and
multilingual aspects.
Implementation of
sustainable public
policies to reach
specific populations -
such as peasants,
indigenous people, etc.
Take into account the
context of regional
migration (internal and
external).
Overcoming the vision of
functional literacy,
enhancing the quality of
the education supply,
enabling continuity and
even professional
education.
Need for broader
sustainable policies to
include in the world of
reading.
Need for training
trainers/educators to
work with youth and
adult education, in an
integral and continuous
way, considering
diversity and distance
education.
Need to use education
qualitative (didactic
and pedagogic)
indicators and
benchmarks in the
monitoring and
evaluation of processes
and policies.
Prioritize funding for
youth and adult
education
-
From literacy to
lifelong learning
September 11, 2008
Translation by Marcela
Hernandez - ICAE
The starting point for
discussion at the
preparatory conference
for Confintea VI has
been the regional
synthesis report,
produced and presented
by the educator Rosa
Maria Torres in the
afternoon of September
10.
The presentation
proposed a paradigm
shift: from education to
learning, from lifelong
education to lifelong
learning, from adult
education to adult
learning and education.
After a presentation of
the regional context in
the field of adult and
youth education, trends
and problems in Latin
America, different
challenges were
highlighted.
- To change the vision
of youth and adult
education subject, of a
needy, vulnerable,
disadvantaged person,
for a person who has
rights who already has
essential knowledge for
human life and for the
conservation of the
planet;
- To build a framework
of policies, priorities,
strategies and
indicators that includes
diversity;
- To strengthen the non-conformist,
alternative and changing
nature of education for
youth and adults and the
popular education
movement in the region.
She highlighted the
strong inequality in the
region, and recalled
that "education is not
helping to reduce
inequality but rather is
reinforcing and
perpetuating it". She
calls for rethinking
education in terms of
struggle against
established powers
against established
powers.
The report will be
discussed by
participants over the
coming days and will
serve as input for the
document to be sent to
the Confintea VI in
Brazil. The full version
will be shared in the
coming days.
ICAE PHOTO
10/09/08
Representatives from
over 30 countries will
participate in Mexico,
in the Regional
Preparatory Conference
for Confin |
