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EPALE focus: Equity and inclusion in adult learning
/en/file/equity-and-social-inclusionEquity and social inclusion
EPALE's thematic focus for March is on equity and inclusion in adult learning
Participation rates in adult learning across Europe vary from country to country, but there is a common challenge that all European countries face – making adult learning accessible to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Studies show that people with more opportunities and better education are more likely to participate in adult learning, which can further contribute to inequalities in the sector.
Here at EPALE we believe that adult learning can be a powerful tool for social inclusion and for changing people’s lives for the better. Check out EPALE’s thematic pages Social inclusion and Barriers to learning where the community and the national teams have gathered interesting articles, useful resources and case studies on the topic (content varies based on your language preference). Visit EPALE regularly for new content in March!
We would like to invite you to join EPALE’s live discussion on how to ensure optimal inclusion in adult learning on the provision and policy levels. The discussion will be in English and will take place on this page on 22 March 2018. It will be moderated by EPALE Thematic Coordinator Simon Broek. We hope to see you there! |
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Yes, I agree that making adult learning accessible to disadvantaged groups is a challenge that all European countries face. Up to a few years ago Malta was quite sheltered with hardly any ‘foreigners’ coming to our shores to stay. The only people who usually visit our country are tourists who leave after a few days. Yet, at present we are experiencing an influx of people coming to our country from other European counties to seek work and from north Africa as immigrants. This phenomenon has been so sudden that it has caught us off guard finding us unprepared and even to some extent stunned. The biggest challenge we are facing is the language barrier especially in schools where our teachers are not trained to teach students who do not know any English not even the basic vocabulary.
Therefore adult learning can definitely be a powerful tool for social inclusion especially for immigrants and disadvantaged groups. Yet, the greatest challenge now is how to reach these groups of people and expose them to these opportunities of learning.