Policy and Practice 2024
Transforming PIAAC results into action: On what to focus
The 2023 Survey of Adult Skills, the OECD’s International Assessment of Adult Competencies on literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills, paints a polarised picture between high- and low-performing countries. Data reveals a pressing need for policymakers to focus on lifelong and life-wide learning to ensure that education is more adaptive to evolving demands.
What role can companies play in civic education?
As political trust wanes and populism rises, there are calls for Europe’s corporate sector to step up. The Civic Scouts at Work programme empowers employees to promote democracy through civic education in corporate training. Can corporate social responsibility help adult learners cope with policy changes in Europe?
Paolo Federighi on micro-credentials: Progress toward equality, but equity remains elusive
They provide affordable and flexible learning opportunities, but do they truly promote equity and inclusivity? “Not quite yet,” says Paolo Federighi, Honorary Professor of Adult Education at the University of Florence, in reference to the much-debated micro-credentials.
Estonians’ belief: Education is the gateway to enhanced living
Could the outstanding results in Estonia’s general education be translated into adult education? In her column, Maie Kitsing explores the four pillars of the country’s education system. Kitsing serves as Advisor at the General Education Department at the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research.
ICAE’s Guevara: Flexibility and partnering needed in adult education policy
“Given the diverse nature of post-schooling education, we need flexibility in adult education policy, not rigid structures,” argues Robbie Guevara, President of International Council for Adult Education and Associate Professor at RMIT University in Melbourne.
Uwe Gartenschlaeger: Adult education is essential to tackle societal challenges
“If we want to live in peace and democracy, if we want to give everybody a fair chance not to be left behind, we need lifelong learning and adult learning,” says Uwe Gartenschlaeger, President of the EAEA.
EDITORIAL Politics, policy and practice: Navigating the challenges of continuing education
In his editorial on the theme of Policy and Practice, ELM Editorial Board member Thomas Jung raises important questions about the relationship between the two. How do political changes impact continuing education? When is a continuing education policy considered successful?
Power and joy at the core of EAEA’s new Manifesto for Adult Learning
“The manifesto tells policy makers: Listen, this is what we can do. Adult education is not one small area, but a holistic way of learning and supporting people and communities,” says Gina Ebner, Secretary General of the EAEA.
Isabell Kempf: “Adult education empowers agility in navigating global change”
“Adult education is a human right and a public good helping to create a more resilient, just and sustainable future,” said Isabell Kempf, Director of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, in her keynote address at the EAEA conference in Helsinki.
Duygu Güner: “Ignoring the hidden barriers behind low training participation is no longer an option”
In her Speakers’ Corner column, economist Duygu Güner describes the past year as being marked by an enthusiastic discussion on skills shortages and the imperative of continuous reskilling/upskilling efforts in the EU. Nevertheless, determining how to increase low training participation rates remains the main challenge. Speakers’ Corner columns are produced in cooperation with EAEA, the European Association for the Education of Adults.
