Lifelong learning, family literacy, adult learning and education (ALE), rural development and regional trends in adult education policy – these are some of the work topics of the new generation of CONFINTEA scholars who arrived last week at the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) in Hamburg, Germany. They will spend one month at the UIL library, which has one of the largest collections in the field of lifelong learning in the world, to develop their research projects, benefiting from the library’s extensive resources, first-hand guidance from UIL specialists, as well as valuable interactions among themselves. More...

The first article examines the homeschooling landscape in Israel, where the practice is still quite rare but on the increase; the second article argues that non-formal, non-vocational adult education (NFNVAE) should play a more central role in educational policy; and the third article looks at the technical skills and knowledge that informal tailoring apprentices in Kenya develop. The fourth article discusses the involvement of French third-level students in voluntary activities and the skills they acquire as a result. The fifth article argues for the recognition of local knowledge and the use of local languages in science education. The final item in this issue is a research note which presents insights from a larger study how UNESCO, through its coordination of the post-Dakar Action Framework, regained some of the influence it had lost in the preceding decades. More...

Three programmes featured in UNESCO’s Effective Literacy and Numeracy Practices Database (LitBase) are among the projects recognized by the 2017 UNESCO International Literacy Prizes.
LitBase, an online platform administered by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), is an important tool for the global promotion of literacy as an integral part of lifelong learning. The collection of more than 220 comprehensive case studies from more than 70 countries provides examples of effectively designed and delivered programmes that develop literacy and numeracy, with the aim of disseminating and inspiring best practice. More...

A special issue of the International Review of Education – Journal of Lifelong Learning (IRE) looks at language rights, linguistic diversity, and the role of language learning programmes in ensuring the social inclusion of potentially marginalised groups in the European Union. More...

The municipality of Puebla, Mexico, held the ‘Smart City Expo LATAM Congress’ on 27 June, offering participants a great opportunity to exchange knowledge for developing sustainable and smart cities in Mexico in particular and Latin America in general. More...

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is home to a vibrant youth and adult population with around one-seventh of the world’s population living in the region. Yet, SSA accounts for almost half of all youth with low literacy and more than a quarter of adults with low literacy globally. Clearly, with decades of limited progress in literacy rates and despite claims of renewed commitment and coordinated action across Africa, new, innovative ways of expanding adult literacy and lifelong learning opportunities need to be explored. More...

The critical issue of recognizing the undocumented qualifications of refugees was discussed at a meeting of experts in Germany last month. Delegates heard how obtaining recognition for foreign vocational qualifications, especially in situations where documentation is missing or is perceived as inadequate by the host country, is often challenging for the individual but can make a huge difference to the lives and contribution of refugees. More...

Promoting Health and Literacy for Women’s Empowerment, the third publication in a research study series on literacy and women’s empowerment published by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), is now available in French. More...

Adult education centres are central to the provision of lifelong learning opportunities in cities around the world. Directors of around 60 adult education centres from cities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland debated the role of adult education centres (Volkshochschule) in their countries at a three-day conference, from 26 to 28 April in Stuttgart, Germany. They were joined by a number of experts in the field, including a representative of the Coordination Team of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) and a delegate from the city of Cork in Ireland, a UNESCO-recognised learning city. More...

‘The user at the centre’ was this year’s theme of the second biennale on Validation of Prior Learning (VPL), which was held in Aarhus, Denmark from 25 to 27 April 2017. The biennale brought together around 200 participants representing government departments in the field of education, employment and social welfare; employers’ associations; youth organisations; trade unions, and educational and training institutions. Among other important themes, participants discussed how to integrate the validation of prior learning outcomes into lifelong learning strategies and how to support the user in the process of doing this. More...