REPORT:  TASK FORCE

State of the art of adult education –

 CONFINTEA Follow up

 

1.       Context

 

The discussion in the Task Group was set in the context of establishing meaningful indicators, which could assist in evaluating the extent to which progress had (or had not) been made towards the achievement of the objectives agreed at CONFINTEA.

 

The monitoring project undertaken by the GEO (Gender Education Office) of ICAE provided a valuable model as a starting point for the work of the Task Group.

 

Two underlying principles were identified by the Group.

·        Seeking information is already an advocacy act, raising awareness about the diversity of adult learners and the patterns of their involvement in formal and non-formal education training.

·        Asking questions concerning statistics (and lack of them) from official national and international agencies and organizations is an important aspect of democratic participation in civil society and an appropriate role for an organization such as ICAE.  By developing indicators relating to progress in implementing CONFINTEA objectives, ICAE can play an important role in keeping the adult learning objectives to the fore with states, and national and international organizations.

 

2.      Summary of recommendations

 

RECOMMENDATION         1

 

The Task Group recommends that the Executive of ICAE commission a Working Group to take forward the proposal that ICAE should play an independent role in monitoring progress towards the achievement of the CONFINTEA objectives. 

 

(Note- this recommendation carries resource implications for the Council)

 

RECOMMENDATION         2

 

Meaningful qualitative and quantitative indicators need to be developed around a range of issues including the following, which were identified in the course of the workshop-

 

1. Finance and resourcing- system level

 

What are the trends in the proportion of GDP invested in the education and training of adults over the five year period?

What are the trends in the elements of budgets of other Ministries associated with the education of adults- e.g. Agriculture, Welfare, Health etc

What information is available on investment in non-formal versus formal adult education?

 

2. Financing- individual adult learners

 

What measures, if any, have been introduced to reduce financial barriers facing adult learners- in particular target groups such as women, the unemployed, ethnic minority groups, residents of rural areas?

What levels of investment are being made, and how has this change, in relation to areas such as paid educational leave, child-care, travel, fee support etc

 

3. Participation trends

 

Who is participating in what forms of education and training

 

Information by sex, age, class, ethnic groups, rural/urban

 

4. Nature of programs

 

Is there evidence of any change in the nature of the programs available to adults?

To what extent is the specific nature of adult learners needs being taken into consideration?

 

5. Policy and legislative changes

 

 

6. Access to new technologies

 

What are the patterns in relation to levels of access to new technologies

 

RECOMMENDATION 3

 

A diversity of methodologies is required to obtain data in relation to both qualitative and quantitative indicators.

 

Every effort must be made to secure robust statistical data on financing and participation, with particular emphasis on (a) trends over time (b) emerging equity gaps, (c) differences between regions in the context of globalization.

 

Given resource constraints of ICAE it is suggested that a fourfold strategy is adopted.

 

Firstly, ICAE should draw up an agreed list of data to be requested from the international statistical agencies.

 

Secondly, ICAE networks should be used to provide qualitative information.

 

Thirdly, several Ochos Rios Working Groups are engaged in collection of monitoring data which should be part of this process- in particular, the groups on literacy, prison education and gender.

 

Fourthly, use should be made of the performance indicators in relation to lifelong learning being developed as part of the current EUROSTAT project.

 

The Working Group identified a range of other statistical sources, which are included in the Appendix along with the list of participants, many of whom indicated their willingness to continue to be involved in this work.