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Adult Education Programs - Overview

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Adult Education programs serve at individuals and groups who are regarded as adults by their society to improve their technical or professional qualifications, further develop their abilities, enrich their knowledge with the purpose to complete a level of formal education, or to acquire, refresh or update their knowledge, skills and competencies in a particular field. (Source: UIS 2012). In many contexts today, competencies acquired in non-formal or informal education – including different forms of adult education – are increasingly recognized. (1)
These programs are distinct from regular formal education aimed at children and adolescents. Adult Education is tailored to meet the diverse needs and experiences of adult learners, who may have varied educational backgrounds, life experiences, and specific goals they want to achieve through learning.The key characteristics of Adult Education programs are:

1. Lifelong Learning: Adult Education promotes the idea of continuous learning throughout one's life. It recognizes that learning doesn't stop after formal schooling and that adults can continue to develop new skills and knowledge at any age.
2. Flexibility: Adult Education programs are designed to accommodate the busy schedules of adults, who often have work, family, or other responsibilities. These programs offer flexible learning options such as evening classes, weekend workshops, online courses, or self-paced learning.
3. Diverse Learners: Adult learners come from various backgrounds and have different learning needs and goals. Adult Education programs are inclusive and cater to learners with different educational levels, abilities, and life experiences.
4. Practical and Relevant: Adult Education focuses on real-world applicability and relevance. Courses often emphasize practical skills and knowledge that can be immediately applied to work, personal life, or societal engagement.
5. Personalized Approach: Adult Education recognizes that adult learners often have specific learning styles and preferences. Programs aim to provide a personalized learning experience to meet individual needs.
6. Non-Formal and Informal Settings: Adult Education is delivered through a variety of settings beyond traditional classrooms. It can take place in community centers, workplaces, online platforms, vocational training institutes, or even through self-directed learning.
7. Diverse Subjects: Adult Education covers a wide range of subjects, including but not limited to literacy, numeracy, vocational skills, technology, health and wellness, financial literacy, language learning, personal development, and citizenship education.

Adult Education programs can serve various purposes, such as helping adults earn a high school equivalency diploma (GED), improving employability and career advancement opportunities, enhancing personal skills, fostering civic engagement, and promoting social integration.
These programs play a vital role in empowering adults to thrive in a rapidly changing world and contribute actively to the development of the whole person, their communities and the workforce.(2)

How AE programs contribute to inclusion, equity, health, safety, personal, social & sustainable development.
Adult education and learning is a key component of lifelong and life-wide learning which are essential features of inclusive and equitable school/education systems. AE helps build learning societies and its policies and practices apply to a wide range of ages, education levels, learning spaces and modalities. Involving individuals, families, communities, organizations, workplaces, neighbourhoods, cities, and regions, ALE should support the inclusion and equitable outcomes by  equipping people with the knowledge, attitudes, values, skills and behaviours to live together in peace, and lead decent lives in terms of health and well-being, culture, spirituality and economic participation,environmental sustainability and in all other ways that contribute to personal development and dignity. (3)
Sources

1. Adapted from the UNESCO Glossary of Curriculum Terminology
2. Adapted from an AI summary produced from ChatGPT on July 30, 2023.
3. Excerpt from the UNESCO 2023 Second Draft of the Recommendation on Education for Peace. For the promotion of international understanding, co-operation, human rights, fundamental freedoms and sustainable development through education.p 14, Item 55

This draft Glossary Term was first posted in July 2023 using "excerpts" from the credible source listed above as well as draft text prepared by AI (ChatGPT). In our discussions, we will revise this Glossary Term it into a "first"and subsequent draft" and "eventually into "first edition" version. The following individuals or organizations have contributed to the development of this topic.
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Text

This summary was first posted in June 2012. Currently it has been posted as  an "excerpt/adaptation", "first draft" or "revised draft" and "first or revised edition" version. The following individuals or organizations have contributed to the development of this topic.
We encourage readers to submit comments or suggested edits by posting a comment on the Mini-blog & Discussion Page for this section or posting a comment below:

Text

This summary was first posted in June 2012. Currently it has been posted as  an "excerpt/adaptation", "first draft" or "revised draft" and "first or revised edition" version. The following individuals or organizations have contributed to the development of this topic.
We encourage readers to submit comments or suggested edits by posting a comment on the Mini-blog & Discussion Page for this section or posting a comment below:
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 Bibliography/Toolbox on
Key research, reports and resources on this topic are highlighted below.  Many of the topics in this web site also have extensive bibliographies/toolboxes (BTs) published as separate documents. Click on this web link to access the full version of our Bibliography/Toolbox on this topic. These lists use our outline for these collections that we have developed over several years of curating these materials.

Research	Reports, Resources
Understand the Problem/Context/Strategies Approaches/Programs/Interventions Implement, Capacity Sustain Integrate Within Education Systems Approach Research Questions/KDE Agenda	Understand the Problem/Context/Strategies Approaches/Programs/Interventions Implement, Adapt, Sustain Integrate Within Education Systems Approach Research Questions/KDE Agenda

The following additional resources are posted on this web site or published by other credible sources. Please send any suggested additions to info@internationalschoolhealth.org

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(The number of summaries completed or drafted in this section are listed below.

Understand the Approach, Program or Intervention

• Overview
  
• Impact on Inclusion, Equity & Other Goals of Education (Evidence & Examples)

Building a Multi-Component Approach, Multi-Intervention-Program

Implement, Maintain, Scale up Sustain

Build Capacities

Integrate Within Education

Systems Approach

Research Questions/KDE Agenda