REPORT:  WORKSHOP B1

Adult Learners’ Week / Learning festivals Workshop

 

Co-coordinators: 

Ms Vilma McClenan, Chairman of CARCAE,

Dr Alan Tuckett, Director of NIACE,

Kate Malone, Co-coordinator of ALW in England

Bettina Bochynek, UIE

 

Based on the experiences of the numerous countries that organize national adult learners’ weeks, this workshop will take stock of accumulated expertise and will develop a plan of action to expand this initiative to many other countries.

 

1.         Aims/issues/tasks

 

• Recognizing that mobilizing new learners is a key task of adult learning.
• Understanding the ‘value’ of Adult Learners’ Week (ALW) activities in celebrating adult learning.
• Share ‘best practices’ in planning and celebrating Adult Learners’ Week – sharing what lessons can be learnt and transferred.
• Using the ‘Learning Festivals Guide’ and sharing experiences to develop an Action plan to initiate/expand/improve their own Adult Learners’ Week
• Thinking about the International dimension of the Learning Festivals/Adult Learners’ Weeks

 

2.         Activities

 

• Welcome and introductions
• Discussion and agreement on aims of the workshop
• Brief descriptions of Adult Learners’ Week by different participants
• Using the festivals guide to plan country specific Adult Learners’ Weeks
• Drafting recommendations on implications of Adult Learners’ Weeks for ICAE

 

3.         Main perspectives & pinpoints

 

• Use the Learning Festivals as a framework
• Set it in the region/countries own context
• A collection of ideas and sharing of challenges
• Used as a tool to initiate a shift in process and structures – changing policies for adult education
• Engaging with the media in own particular contextual way
• ‘Small’ is often the best way to start the process of developing an adult learners’ week
• Debate around prizes and awards
• Working with new and different partners as well as reaching new and different adults
• Financial implications
• Learner involvement in development of Adult Learners’ Weeks around the World
• Continued exchange of ideas and communication between existing organizers and new organizers by means of the following:

1. calendar of adult learners’ weeks around the world
2. continuation of an e-mail forum
3. development of a website
4. production of a video capturing festivals around the World

 

4.         Conclusions and recommendations to ICAE

 

i.                    We support the convivial developments of Adult Learners’ Weeks from below.  ICAE needs to give priority to the progression of an International Adult Learners’ Week to a United Nations Adult Learners’ Week over the medium term with the co-operation from UNESCO.

 

ii.                  We recommend a short term strategy which fosters co-operation internationally and gives support for countries in developing their Adult Learners’ Week with:

·        UNESCO each year to identify one Adult Learners’ Week in a different region for international celebration and support the representation of learners and organizers from all regions of the World for a capacity building event in association with the International Adult Learners’ Week; and for ICAE to help in the selection.

 

iii.                We wish to encourage ICAE within their resources to promote to UNESCO that they should support the technical capacity for countries to organize Adult Learners’ Weeks and learning festivals, which include the following:

 

• technical partnerships as opposed to mere exchanges
• technical support for start up of adult learners’ weeks
• a survey which evaluates impacts of Weeks around the World (both qualitative and quantitative) and which builds on the task force workshop following on from Confintea V