Adult education matters!
Only if everybody – young and old – is able to learn can we solve global challenges together. Only if all of us have the chance to adapt to new developments and acquire the knowledge necessary to act jointly to solve global challenges will we be able to create fairer, more just and sustainable societies. A rapidly developing world does not allow for learning to finish with the end of compulsory or higher education. It requires lifelong learning for all.
As a core component of lifelong learning, adult learning and education (ALE) comprises all forms of education and learning, ensuring that adults participate not only in the world of work, but in society as a whole. It is an essential instrument in working towards the achievement of all SDGs and plays a significant role in tackling current and future skills challenges, as well as in supporting personal development and social cohesion.
We are far from providing learning opportunities to all. In one-third of countries worldwide fewer than
of adults aged 15 and above participate in education and learning programmes.
At the midway point of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 4, which specifically calls for learning opportunities for adults, it is clear that we must redouble our efforts!
Adult learning and education in Indonesia
Moving adult learning and education up on the policy agenda
As we anticipate further disruption caused by the effects of climate change, demographic shifts and the growing influence of digital technologies in every aspect of our lives, it is critical that adult learning and education as an integral part of lifelong learning moves further up the policy agenda.
With the adoption of the Marrakech Framework for Action at the Seventh International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VII) on 17 June 2022, representatives of over 140 countries committed to translating the vision of a right to lifelong learning into reality. They undertook to significantly increase adult participation in learning and recognized the need for increased financial investment in adult learning and education.
The Inclusive Lifelong Learning Conference identified strategic directions to translate the recommendations of the Marrakech Framework for Action into policy measures, strategies and programmes in the participating countries.
