Lifelong learning in Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda and Tanzania

‘There are porous boundaries between formal education, non-formal education and informal learning, and a number of issues affect the operationalization of lifelong learning. These include conceptual understandings of lifelong learning, the recognition of learning achievements and the role of counselling and guidance, teachers and facilitators, financial resources and infrastructure, and coordination among stakeholders,’ says Arne Carlsen, Director of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning.

The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning has produced a study on key issues and policy considerations in promoting lifelong learning in five African countries. This study draws lessons from desk research and fieldwork that are summarized in ten recommendations for further action and reform.

The recommendations range from developing an overarching policy framework and clear guidelines, through tapping into existing traditions of community learning, to creating linkages between formal and non-formal education and informal learning.

Lifelong learning as an organizing principle takes political courage, long-term commitment and social transformation within a framework of sustainable development.

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Key Issues and Policy Considerations in Promoting Lifelong Learning in Selected African Countries (PDF, 5 MB)