Provision of equivalent basic education through all modes and channels are essential for achieving Education for All (EFA) goals by 2015. Countries in the Asia-Pacific region are at various stages of development in providing access to formal and non-formal channels of learning. Equivalency Programmes (EPs) are defined as 'alternative education programs equivalent to existing formal or vocational education'. In most countries of the Asia-Pacific region, EPs encompass non-formal education, correspondence or distance education, adult education, and recreational and retirement education. The ratio
... Show more
Provision of equivalent basic education through all modes and channels are essential for achieving Education for All (EFA) goals by 2015. Countries in the Asia-Pacific region are at various stages of development in providing access to formal and non-formal channels of learning. Equivalency Programmes (EPs) are defined as 'alternative education programs equivalent to existing formal or vocational education'. In most countries of the Asia-Pacific region, EPs encompass non-formal education, correspondence or distance education, adult education, and recreational and retirement education. The rationale for the development of EPs in the Asia-Pacific region is that many regional countries have large populations and low literacy rates and lack the resources required to expand the formal education system sufficiently to meet the demand for education. In such a situation, an alternate system has to be found. EPs generally focus on deprived populations but are becoming the alternative route to education for those who lack access to conventional education systems, and are developing many faces to meet various scenarios. In general, EPs are still the poorer cousin to formal education in terms of funding, facilities, materials and the like, but these programs have achieved success in term of partnerships, community ownership and support and client service. There is evidence that EPs are assisting countries in the Asia-Pacific region to progress more quickly towards their 2015 EFA goals and that such programs are providing opportunities for disadvantaged populations to start down the path to lifelong learning. This publication, produced by the Asia-Pacific Programme of Education for All (APPEAL) at UNESCO's Regional Office in Bangkok, has two parts. The first part is a synthesis of country impact studies on EPs and of information compiled about EPs in countries of the Asia-Pacific region. The second part provides more in-depth detail about the operational highlights of EPs in four selected countries of the region - India, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Excerpts from publication.
Show less
