On 22 October, heads of state and government, ministers from over 70 countries and international partners adopted a Declaration to protect education finance and accelerate progress towards SDG 4 on education during the current pandemic and beyond.
The adoption took place within the framework of an extraordinary Global Education Meeting convened by UNESCO, the governments of Ghana, Norway and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss solutions to the challenges brought by the COVID-19 crisis in terms of equitable quality education and lifelong learning.
The commitment by participants of the meeting is central to the work of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning. We have witnessed a massive disruption in key areas of our mandate such as literacy and adult learning and education. This calls for urgent action. This month’s newsletter provides you with insight into how we plan to meet the challenges effected by COVID-19 and ensure that equitable lifelong learning opportunities are safeguarded today and into the future.
Wishing you good reading!
David Atchoarena
 UNESCO presented the UN Secretary-General’s report ‘Literacy for life, work, lifelong learning and education for democracy’ at the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. The report identifies the progress made on literacy and provides recommendations to advance the SDGs during and beyond COVID-19. Learn more |
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 On 28 and 29 October 2020, the Global Alliance for Literacy within the Framework of Lifelong Learning (GAL) met virtually to assess the unprecedented challenges brought by COVID-19 on youth and adult literacy in its 29 member countries. Learn more |
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 As COVID-19 has forced countries to implement distance, technology-enabled and other forms of home-based learning, learning within families and across generations has become even more crucial. To further advance learning within families, UIL and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) launched an online course on planning family and intergenerational literacy and learning programmes. Learn more |
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 As part of the UNESCO celebration of World Teachers’ Day, UIL and the UNESCO Sections for Teacher Development and Youth, Literacy and Skills Development hosted a special virtual session, ‘Youth and adult literacy educators: Status, challenges and opportunities towards professionalization’, on 6 October 2020. Learn more |
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 UIL hosted a webinar on ‘Open and distance education to promote learning and skills development throughout life’ as part of the virtual Central Asia Symposium on ICT in Education (vCASIE) 2020. The webinar focused on promoting lifelong learning and skills development through innovative approaches such as ICT-supported open and distance learning, in particular in response to the COVID-19 situation. Learn more |
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 UIL and the UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education and the Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS) co-organized a virtual policy forum during the EdTech Korea Fair 2020. Hosted by the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Education, the forum convened 28 high-level officials from education ministries in 22 countries. Learn more |
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| Lifelong learning policies |
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| UIL launched a global survey on the role of universities in promoting lifelong learning. The survey forms part of a broader and more comprehensive research project on the contribution of higher education institutions to lifelong learning, conducted by UIL and Shanghai Open University from 2020 to 2021. Learn more |
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 UIL is further expanding its Collection of Lifelong Learning Policies and Strategies, with two recent additions from the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Prime Minister’s Decree on Lifelong Learning, issued in 2020) and the Kingdom of Cambodia (National Policy on Lifelong Learning, issued in 2019). Learn more |
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 The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the challenges facing already over-stretched prison services around the world, but the crisis is also an opportunity to do things differently, particularly in prison education, write Marie Macauley and Lisa Krolak in a UIL blog to mark the International Day of Education in Prison.
Learn more |
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| Adult learning and education |
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| On 30 September 2020, UIL, in partnership with the UNESCO Brasilia Office and the UNESCO Chair for Youth and Adult Education, launched the Portuguese translation of the fourth Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE 4). The launch was part of a webinar on lifelong learning and adult education in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. Learn more |
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| COVID-19 has accelerated the need to prioritize education for adults, which has been exponentially affected by the crisis, writes UIL’s Jamila Razzaq in her blog, ‘COVID-19: It’s time to prioritize adult education’. The potential of ALE to contribute to the creation of healthier, happier and more inclusive societies has never been clearer, she argues. Learn more |
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| UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities |
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 On 23 September, the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) welcomed 54 new member cities from 27 countries, bringing the total number of cities within the network to 229 across 64 countries. The new members are examples of how lifelong learning can become a reality at local level and contribute to fulfilling the 2030 Agenda.
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 On 19 September 2020, the UNESCO Learning City of Évry-Courcouronnes in France launched the Micro-Folie, a digital museum and space for educational activities designed with and for the local community. Alexandra Lion, who heads the city’s learning city taskforce, explains the concept of a micro-folie and how the project promotes lifelong learning in Évry-Courcouronnes. Learn more |
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| International Review of Education |
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The following articles are free to access until 30 November
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