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Since 1993, the Asian Adult Education Association (ASPBAE) has been carrying out a training course for employees of its member organisations in which they are made familiar with the principles of socially-oriented adult education in theory and practice. Among other things, the participants learn contextual analysis, communication methods, leadership skills, organisational management, networking and political lobbying. The goal is not only the strengthening of the respective organisations, but also the [Asia Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education] ASPBAE itself.

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This article makes a detailed discussion of two different approaches to adult education and literacy: the Standard strategy, a 10-year literacy campaign (launched in 1994) aimed to enable adults to learn how to read and write Arabic and to use written arithmetic; and the Capacity Enhancement for Lifelong Literacy (CELL) strategy which aimed to: (a) teach reading, writing and written arithmetic at least as efficiently and effectively as the Standard programme; (b) promote community, social and economic development and to reduce poverty, especially for women and especially in very poor and disadvantaged rural communities; and (c) to prepare the General Authority for Literacy and Adult Education (GALAE) officers to mainstream the new pattern of operations across the country. Both strategies were sponsored by the GALAE of the Egyptian Government. The article discusses the progress of these programs and presents some findings on their outcomes and effectiveness. Show less

International migration is still growing, along with globalization. It is estimated that more than 200 million people have been affected, and they have now become a major economic factor. What are the economic, social and political consequences of this large number? What is the situation with regard to gender equality and integration? And what can adult education do to remove prejudices and to help people to live side by side through mutual understanding? Unlad Kabayan is an entrepreneurial NGO [non-government organisation] that builds and generates assets for the socioeconomic advancement of the poor. Unlad has pioneered the innovative approach of harnessing migrant workers’ resources to enhance the development of local economies.

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The purpose of this paper is to report on the challenge posed to adult education and skills training by the large numbers employed in small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs, in Chile, by reference to the experience of a particular economic niche in one region of the country. Since the 1990s, Chile has invested large sums in education. But today's adult workers need new learning opportunities to make up for the education that they missed at school because of the lack of investment in education by the Military Government in the years 1973-1989. Both SMEs and so-called micro-enterprises, which employ fewer than five workers and have sales not exceeding 50 thousand US dollars a year, are the major source of employment in developing countries. Despite the low productivity in such enterprises, the people employed in them have little opportunity for education or training. Besides reviewing the challenge posed to adult education in the country, this article describes an example of SME training in La Araucania Region in Chile, where the greatest percentage of the indigenous population is concentrated and which has the highest indices of poverty despite the richness of its natural and cultural resources. The enterprises in question are concerned with tourism, which is a developing industry given the decline in agricultural employment. The methodology emphasises management training and the teaching of relevant knowledge.

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In Laos, as in many other countries, there is a contradiction between the broad needs of informal career-oriented and income-generating education and the vanishing, comparatively small, formal education sector, as well as the non-formal and informal area for which the goals and methods must yet largely be explored in order to get accurate data for decision-making and the setting of educational priorities.

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There is general agreement that adult education (AE) has an international dimension, but how does AE today respond to this challenge? What is the relationship between theory and practice, given the international developments in this field, and what are the implications of the need for AE to work internationally? The author, who will already be familiar to many of our readers, addresses these questions. He begins with an overview of the German adult education system, where it is integrated into the schools and post-school education system as the 'fourth pillar'. It has a pluralistic structure in that it is contributed to by public and private institutions, partially subsidised by both sectors, governed by legislative regulations, and comprising formal, non-formal and informal adult education. Learning is divided into the broad areas of vocational education, general education, and civic or political education. The author then discusses fields of activity that he believes should be part of every adult education system, noting the engagement of German adult education in international cooperation via international agencies that address educational issues, including UNESCO, the OECD, the World Bank, and the European Union.

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In this article the background of the pedagogical and political meaning that adult education has had in Latin America is presented, with a discussion of the problematical contents of the educational policies that have been predominant since the last century and the proposition of some challenges considered key to the development of a new generation of definitions and alternatives.

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The International [Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies] PIAAC study has collected data on competencies of adults in three domains in 25 countries, in many of them for the first time ever. The article provides an overview of central terms, main aims and the methodological approach of this OECD study. It also discusses its potentials and limitations. One limitation is the focus on the labour force, excluding adults older than 65 years, a fast growing part of many populations in times of demographic change. To remedy this limitation, an extensional study in Germany was carried out with 1339 adults in the age group 66-80, using the PIAAC instruments and complementing them with additional qualitative inquiries.

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This paper reports on a study designed to explore the changing intentions of Bulgarians on the eve of the 21st century with respect to their continuing education and to determine their educational aspirations as they entered the next millennium. To achieve this aim, the authors made a comparative analysis of two nationally representative social and psychological surveys of the intention of participants to continue studying even after reaching a certain level of education. The surveys were carried out in 1993 and 1999. The results revealed a significant change in both the attitudes of Bulgarians towards education and in their educational aspirations during the five year period. The majority of Bulgarians are willing to participate in lifelong learning and to increase their educational level through various forms of continuing education. Minority groups traditionally satisfied with lower educational levels have also demonstrated the intention to continue studying and acquire higher levels of education. The authors conclude that the importance of lifelong learning for Bulgarians represents a challenge to non-governmental educational institutions to expand their educational provision to satisfy the increased educational needs of Bulgarian citizens. Show less

The civil war in Syria has forced around 2.7 million people to flee the country; at least 700,000 of them went to Turkey. Their needs are not limited to food and shelter; they also need protection and education. YUVA/DVV International Turkey implements adult education activities in the area near the Syrian border with the two communities, urban Syrian refugees and the local population. The Kirikhan Community Centre acts as a meeting and training point where people have a chance to develop themselves and forget the pain of the war.

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