Challenges: Degradation of education in general
COVID-19 has resulted in further increase of private providers and decrease of public education providers. Worsened democratic index of the country adds to the degradation of education in general, and adult education as well. There is increased authoritarianism and development of partisan-politics and forms of education linked to the ruling party’s objectives and political agenda.
Civil society active in adult learning and education is excluded from policymaking initiatives. Only Government-Organised Non-Governmental Organisations (GONGOs) are supported for the ruling party to further its political interests at home. To maintain neutrality and autonomy some democratic civil society organisations and private ALE providers have decided to cut ties and discontinued co-operation with the government.
AES has underlined that in 2021 active citizenship, civic education, and awareness-raising will be their top priorities on the agenda. However, decrease in Press Freedom Index translates into fewer opportunities for media-based use of adult learning.