EAEA country reports now published in digital format
We are proud to present to you the sixth edition of our country reports - now in digital format.
Since 2014 EAEA has been collecting outlooks from across our members in Europe on the adult education sector: recent developments, strengths, challenges and how policy in their country reflecting international policies and initiatives relating to adult learning at present.
It is important that we begin by making clear– this is a civil society perspective; the country reports are not a scientific analysis of data. The information we present is collected through surveys sent to all EAEA members which they use to express their views about the sector in their country. The views represented, therefore, may vary dependent on our member’s focus group, geographical position, the level on which they operate, and the extent of consultation they conducted before they responded to the survey.
This report offers professionals in adult education across Europe an opportunity to express their perspectives, relay learner’s views, and look to the future: providing recommendations, predicting future challenges, and expressing their plans for the upcoming year. It bridges the gap between citizens involved in adult education at a grassroots level, governing bodies, and institutions writing policy.
Many of our contributors noted this year that in the future they hoped their governing structures would put less of an emphasis on adult learning from employment, or vocational training as the most important forms of adult education, also giving recognition (and vitally, funding) to learning programmes for citizenship, personal development and well-being.
Another challenge facing many of the civil society representatives in Europe is encouraging participation from those without a strong background in education. Outreach is difficult, and breaking down the stigmas they may attach to lifelong learning is a complex process.
From here on in, we are going digital. The 2019 edition, and each one following on from that will instead be added to our country reports database. There are a number of benefits to our new digital system. In the future editions you will be able to effortlessly compare situations and initiatives from multiple different countries. Instead of having to flip between pages of our physical copies, and you will be able to explore the changes in adult education over the last number of years, in one country, or many. The data will remain much the same: a civil society view, but presented in a more innovative and accessible way
Gina Ebner, Secretary General of EAEA
Uwe Gartenschlaeger, President of EAEA