African Member States and the international community must do more to enhance participation in adult learning and education (ALE) across the continent; that is the principal message of a newly released report by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL).
The publication, Trends in Adult Learning and Education in Africa: Findings from the 4th Global Report on Adult Learning and Education, paints an uneven picture in terms of adult learning and education on the continent, particularly when it comes to participation in ALE opportunities. In fact, of the 25 African countries that provided information on participation, 24 per cent reported participation rates below 5 per cent, 20 per cent at between 5 and 10 per cent, 4 per cent at between 10 and 20 per cent, and 32 per cent at between 20 and 50 per cent. Only 20 per cent recorded participation rates higher than 50 per cent.
‘Rising participation in adult learning and education is pivotal for achieving all Sustainable Development Goals,’ affirms UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini in her address for the publication’s online launch, which took place on 15 and 16 April 2020. ‘This report shows that, in many countries, disadvantaged groups tend to participate less in adult learning and education. The lowest increases in participation are reported for all those with disabilities, older adults and the minority groups,’ she adds. Investing resources and developing effective policies that draw on best practice in the continent and around the world, particularly in reaching the least advantaged, is therefore essential.
- Author/Editor: UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning
- UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, 2020
- ISBN 978-92-820-1235-2
