France

According to EAEA’s French member, Ligue de l'Enseignement, the situation of adult learning and education (ALE) in France has stayed the same compared to last year. Every French person has access to a personal training account, and this was an important tool in 2021 to promote access to training, especially for women. 

The recovery plan initiated in 2020 has also made it possible to finance other training courses, specifically centred on professional integration and the development of professional skills.

Participation in the Economic and Social Council

Ligue de l'Enseignement is able to participate indirectly at the national level of the decision-making process. They are part of the Economic and Social Council, which is the 3rd assembly in France and registered in the French constitution. The assembly forms a link between the citizens and the government. It advises the government on the development of laws and public policies, including the training and education of adults. 

The Ligue de l'Enseignement has advocated for different themes in France. Before and during the 2022 presidential and parliamentary elections, advocacy activities were built for the following themes: 

• Emancipatory education
• Civic and united action
• An acceleration of ecological transitions and
• a Europe of freedom, solidarity and democracy  

According to the Ligue de l'Enseignement, access to training and education should be universal and free for both young people and adults. Moreover, training centres should be strengthened to ensure permanent actions and to reduce insecurity of trainers and teachers.

Ecological transition and empowering education for all will be the focus areas next year. 

Country reports by the European Commission

According to the Ligue de l'Enseignement, the European Commission's country reports reflect the situation in France to some extent, but they are not taken into account when designing ALE programmes. EAEA’s member states that the effects of the French Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), which aims to accelerate the green and digital transition, are difficult to measure because it is still an ongoing process. Moreover, the successive waves of Covid-19 are still impacting France. There are fewer jobseekers, but paradoxically, companies are finding it difficult to recruit employees. Many have chosen to enter training. 

Financing of adult education

In France, the funding situation of adult learning and education has stayed the same in comparison to last year. It is mainly financed through project funding, operating grants and individual learning accounts. 

Sustainability 

The Ligue de l'Enseignement states that it promotes sustainability through different types of actions. One example is training in a different approach to life, which addresses the challenges of the Anthropocene. 

The French organisation also participates in discussion forums such as climate conventions. In addition, the Ligue de l'Enseignement advocates the inclusion of environmental clauses in all project applications and public procurement, as well as healthy food education. According to them, implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals vary substantially in the French ALE sector. 

CONFINTEA VII

In France, The Ligue de l'Enseignement was involved in the preparatory process of CONFINTEA VII. The French organisation considers CONFINTEA as an important process from a civil society perspective, but it is not sufficiently taken into account in national policymaking in ALE.