At least since the publication of the PIAAC results in 2013, the focus of adult education throughout Europe has been on basic-education needs. EU states are generating and continuously changing educational offers in this field. Policy-makers are asking the following questions in order to utilise public resources effectively: What works in basic education? How should basic-education offers or programmes be designed in order to be successful? Several new policy papers provide answers.

The new OECD study reveals what works.

An OECD working paper from July 2015 by Hendrickje Catriona Windisch provides an overview of the effective aspects of basic-education offers. Here is an overview of the most important factors:

• Motivate and invite: Motivation and the initiative to attend courses are the first and perhaps greatest obstacles in this regard. There are many external learning motives – such as migration and unemployment – and also personal learning desires. People with low reading and numeracy­ skills often overestimate their abilities or are deterred from attending courses due to a sense of shame. Active awareness-raising and campaigns, but also information and guidance are required in order to provide a smooth learning path.
• Taking differences into account: Low-skilled adults come from various backgrounds and form a heterogeneous group. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Young school drop-outs or migrants, the long-term unemployed or returners profit from specific offers.
• Removing obstacles: Children need supervision, course locations must be accessible, and attending courses must not result in financial loss. All these supportive aspects alleviate participation and increase the success of programmes. Consultation at the beginning and throughout courses is especially important.
• Drop-out – drop-in: Basic skills are not only learned in courses, but are also continually practiced informally. Basic education is a long-term project, and taking breaks often makes sense from the viewpoint of learners. Therefore, "drop-outs" should should be given the chance to "drop-in", i.e. return to an educational path. The author also recommends learning consultation and blended learning as a way to support self-study phases.
• Learning within a greater context: Learning works best in the middle of life – within families, the workplace or in a regional community. Also "embedded learning", the embedding of basic education within other training programmes, has been practiced successfully. All these offers address "course-distant" learners and provide learning content that is applicable to everyday life.

Further information:

• OECD Working Paper 2015

https://ec.europa.eu/epale/en/resource-centre/content/adults-low-literacy-and-numeracy-skills

• European Impulses for Basic Education in Austria (German)

http://erwachsenenbildung.at/aktuell/nachrichten_details.php?nid=8175

Editing, Text: CONEDU

source picture: Evelyn Merz  / pixelio.de