Peter Jarvis: A pioneer of adult education

Peter Jarvis, leading adult educator and pioneer of adult education scholarship, has passed away.

Peter was a gifted teacher and scholar whose numerous published works are among the most cited in the field of lifelong learning. He was also an enthusiastic promoter of scholarship and, among other things, initiated the CONFINTEA scholarship programme at the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), proposing the scheme during a visit to UIL in 2012. Peter co-funded one of the scholarships himself, with his publisher Taylor and Francis.

Among his many other achievements, Peter founded the International Journal of Lifelong Education, and co-edited the journal for 35 years. With a background in teaching adults, Peter developed an approach to teaching and learning which emphasized its social and ethical nature.

He was a committed internationalist and contributed to numerous UNESCO workshops and conferences, including the fifth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA V) in Hamburg in 1997. Peter played an important role in drafting the Hamburg Declaration on Adult Learning, the main outcome of the conference.

David Atchoarena, Director of UIL, said: ‘Peter Jarvis was a hugely significant figure in the field of lifelong learning, both for his own distinctive scholarship and for his support to others’. I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge his special contribution at an international level, and to the work of UIL in particular.’