unesco/jica international symposium on non-formal...

Jointly organized byUNESCO, Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education and Japan International Cooperation Agency

UNESCO-JICA International Symposium on Non-formal Education to Promote

EFA andLifelong Learning

Tokyo, Japan, 13 - 14 October 2004

UNESCO-JICA International Symposium on Non-formal Education to Promote

EFA andLifelongLearning

Tokyo, Japan13-14 October 2004

Jointly organized byUNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Educationand Japan International Cooperation Agency

UNESCO-JICA International Symposium on Non-formal Educationto Promote EFA and Lifelong Learning, Tokyo, Japan,13-14 October 2004.EFA and lifelong learning/jointly organized by UNESCO Asia and

Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, and Japan InternationalCooperation Agency, Bangkok: UNESCO Bangkok, 2005.

84 pp.

1. Education for All. 2. Non-formal Education. 3. LifelongEducation. I. Title

ISBN 92-9223-066-2

UNESCO 2005

Published by theUNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for EducationP.O. Box 967, Prakanong Post OfficeBangkok 10110. Thailand

Printed in Thailand

The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout the publicationdo not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerningthe legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning itsfrontiers or boundaries.

APL/05/OP/409-500

Introduction 1

Chapter 1: Public Open Forum 5

1. Directions and Strategies in Non-formal Education 61-1 Keynote Presentation by Mr. Akhiro Chiba 61-2 UNESCOs Regional Strategies to Promote NFE 121-3 JICAs Strategies for Cooperation in the Field of Non-formal Education 23

2. Community-Based Approaches to NFE 382-1 JICAs Support to Non-formal Education in Pakistan 382-2 The World Terakoya Movement (WTM) 382-3 Community Learning Centres (CLCs) 40

3. Panel Discussions of Regional NFE Experts 443-1 Anil Bordina (India) 443-2 Washington Napitupulu (Indonesia) 443-3 Shaheen Rahman (Pakistan) 45

Chapter 2: Expert Forum 49

1. The Role of Non-formal Education in Lifelong Learning 50

1-1 Indonesias Experience in NFE for Lifelong Learning 501-2 JICAs Support to Non-formal Education in Pakistan 511-3 Construction of a Lifelong Learning Society and the Role of 51

kominkan in Japan

2. Health and HIV/AIDS 542-1 The JICA Viet Nam Reproductive Health Project in Nghe An Province 542-2 Health and HIV/AIDS: The Case of Thailand 55

3. Income Generation for Rural Development 573-1 Income Generation for Rural Development: A Case Study from Tanzania 573-2 The Impact of Adult Education on Poverty Reduction in Bangladesh 58

C O N T E N T S

4. Environmental Education for Sustainable Development 604-1 Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in China 604-2 Asia-Pacific Regional Cooperation Through the Development and

Dissemination of Teaching/Learning Materials for Environmental Education 604-3 Non-Formal Education for Nature Conservation 61

5. Wrap-up of the Experts Forum 64

ANNEXES

Annex 1: Opening Remarks 65

Annex 2: List of Speakers 73

Annex 3: Provisional Programme 81

Introduction

Through the global Education for All (EFA) Jomtien (1990) and Dakar(2000) commitments, as well as under the United Nations LiteracyDecade (UNLD) (2003-2012), many countries around the world havemade substantial progress in education. However, there are anestimated 800 million illiterate people in the world today, and over 100million children are still being denied access to education.

Large numbers of children, the majority of whom are girls, lack accessto basic education programmes and learning, and in some countriesmany children, especially girls, drop out of school even beforecompleting primary education. Enrolment rates for girls and women atall levels of education are still far below parity with males in manycountries.

It is no coincidence that most illiterate people and out-of-school childrenare from minority groups, from the poor and disadvantaged, fromremote geographical areas, from the disabled, and above all, are girlsand women. It is these groups excluded from education that mustconstitute the principal target for subsequent interventions.

To tackle the enormous challenges of EFA, non-formal education (NFE)should also play an important role in coordination with formal schooling.By means of flexible programmes in combination with otherdevelopment activities, NFE can meet the needs of people indisadvantaged situations - needs that cannot be met by the formalschool system alone. In addition, due to the rapid changes in societycaused by the impact of information and communication technology(ICT) and the global economy, education cannot be limited to formalschooling, but should expand to become a lifelong activity using bothformal and non-formal, as well as informal, modes of learning.

UNESCO, as the lead agency behind EFA and the UNLD, has playeda key role in coordinating various initiatives in literacy and lifelonglearning. In Asia and the Pacific, UNESCO's Asia-Pacific Programmeof Education for All (APPEAL), fostering a regional network of institutionsdedicated to EFA, has promoted lifelong learning through the integrationof all aspects of education planning related to literacy and universaleducation.

Since Jomtien, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) hasbeen steadily expanding and strengthening its cooperation in the fieldof basic education. Although it is only the last couple of years thatJICA has started to initiate NFE projects, the agency in fact had beenintegrating NFE into its various cooperative projects and programmesof other development sectors for promoting "human centreddevelopment". To build upon past experiences and reaffirm itscommitments, JICA has recently developed strategies for cooperationin the field of NFE. With these strategies JICA will enhance and

Background

Non-Formal Education to Promote EFA2

strengthen its projects and programmes, not only in the field of basiceducation, but also to ensure an integrated approach to its othersectoral cooperation.

In view of this background, UNESCO Bangkok and JICA jointlyproposed an international symposium on the promotion of lifelonglearning and Education for All through non-formal education.

The symposium was organized at the JICA Institute for InternationalCooperation and at JICA headquarters in Tokyo on 13-14 October2004. There was a public Open Forum on the first day of this event,and an Expert Forum on the second day.

The specific objectives of the symposium were as follows:

1. To reaffirm the international commitment to EFA and the UNLDwith particular focus on the role of non-formal education withinthe context of lifelong learning;

2. To share and identify innovative experiences for effectiveimplementation of non-formal education programmes of UNESCO,JICA and other agencies and governments to promote literacyand lifelong learning; and

3. To explore future collaboration for strengthening NFE within theframework of EFA and the UNLD at national and international levels.

There were 18 international participants from 10 countries, includingUNESCO offices in Bangkok, Dhaka and Tashkent, as well as the JICAIslamabad office. There were 120 members of the audience on thefirst day and 60 participants on the second day, many of whom weregovernment officials, university academics, students and NGO staff inJapan.

Here is a brief summary of the symposium sessions:

The forum commenced with welcoming remarks by representatives of JICA, the Japanese NationalCommission for UNESCO and UNESCO Bangkok. The morning sessions provided an overall viewof NFE through the keynote presentation of Professor Akihiro Chiba, as well as UNESCO and JICApresentations on NFE strategies. The first afternoon session highlighted various field experiences,including a literacy project in Pakistan, the activities of the Terakoya project, and CLC experiencesin the region to promote community-based approaches in NFE. The final session of the OpenForum consisted of a panel discussion by senior NFE educators who explored future directionsand the potential of NFE for achieving EFA, taking into account past experiences and anticipatedchallenges.

After a brief orientation on the Expert Forum, four parallel sessions were organized on the followingtopics: 1) the role of NFE in lifelong learning; 2) health and HIV/AIDS; 3) income generation for ruraldevelopment; and 4) environmental education for sustainable development. Each session consistedof presentations of experts followed by question-and-answer and Open Forum discussions. A

The Symposium

Public Open ForumPublic Open ForumPublic Open ForumPublic Open ForumPublic Open ForumDay 1

Expert ForumExpert ForumExpert ForumExpert ForumExpert ForumDay 2

Introduction 3

summary of each session was reported by the chairpersons at a plenary session to share the mainfindings. The symposium concluded with a general overview by Professor Chiba and concludingremarks by JICA on behalf of the organizers.

This report intends to document the main points of the presentationsand Open Forum discussions during the symposium. The structure of

the report basically follows the symposiumpro-gramme. Chapter 1 highlights the firstday's discussions at the public OpenForum, while discussions from the ExpertForum on the second day are summarizedin Chapter 2.

Although this report in printed form includesonly summaries of each presentation, fulltexts of all presentations, as well as severalphotographs, are included in the attachedCD.

JICA and UNESCO wish to express their appreciation to all theparticipants, particularly the session speakers. Special thanks areextended to Professor Akihiro Chiba, who provided valuable adviceand guidance for the conference preparations, and played a key rolein organizing the sessions during the symposium.

The Report

Acknowledgement

Public Open Forum 5

Public O

pen Forum

1

This chapter documents the following sessions organized during the public openforum:

The keynote presentation by Professor Akihiro Chiba, International ChristianUniversity, Tokyo, concerned the history and purpose of NFE, and emphasized itsimportant role for achieving EFA and a "learning society." The full text of his presentationappears in this chapter.

UNESCO APPEAL's strategies and activities in NFE, described by Ms. DaruneeRiewpituk, focus upon "reaching the unreached," "community ownership" and "qualityimprovement" through coordinating grassroots experiences and resourcedevelopment, as well as policy dialogues. JICA's strategy paperJICA's strategy paperJICA's strategy paperJICA's strategy paperJICA's strategy paper, presented by Mr.Jun Sakuma, emphasized the role of NFE as a key to both individual and communitydevelopment, covering basic education, the improvement of livelihoods, health andsanitation, HIV/AIDS prevention, the environment and peace-building. The full textsof these presentations, as well as a summary of questions and answers at the OpenForum, are included in this chapter.

Community-based approaches to promote NFE consisted of three presentations.JICA's Literacy Promotion Project in Pakistan undertook a comprehensive literacyassessment in Punjab for the better planning and implementation of literacyprogrammes. Both the APPEAL-supported community learning centres (CLCs) andNFUAJ's Terakoya project focused on the role of community members in NFEprogrammes, not as recipients but as active players in planning, implementing andassessing activities. One-page summaries of these presentations in addition toquestions and answers at the Open Forum are given in this chapter.

Panel discussions of regional experts, namely Mr. Bordia (India), Dr. Napitupulu(Indonesia) and Ms. Shaheen (Pakistan), encouraged practitioners to reconsider thepossibilities of NFE for achieving EFA. NFE has the potential to meet the needs of

(JICA

Institu

te for Intern

ational C

ooperation

, 13 Octob

er 2004)


daily life, as well as to join lifelong learning with efforts to promote a just and peaceful society. One-pagesummaries of these presentations, along with questions and answers from the Open Forum, are included inthis chapter.

1. Directions and Strategies in Non-formal Education

1-1 Keynote PresentationNon-formal Education: Unfulfilled Tasks and Challenges for theFutureAkihiro Chiba, Professor, International Christian University

International Controversy Surrounding Non-formal Education in the 1970s

It was in the early 1970s when Phillip Coombs, an advocate of non-formal education, created a greatsensation through his untiring whirlwind world tours and I was also dragged into the centre of this whirlwindto counteract him from the UNESCO side. He was criticizing UNESCO for its rigid school-centered educationaldevelopment strategy, and insisted that the strategy of development assistance in the field of educationshould be concentrated in non-formal education. Facing Dr. Coombs, I represented UNESCO in this debateon development strategy at the UN.

UNESCO had no objection to his claim to place an importance on non-formal education, but could notaccept his stand that negates the value of formal education in the development assistance strategy. It was

considered unrealistic to place non-formaleducation in the mainstream of educationaldevelopment, replacing formal education, becauseit would only result in confusion. Non-formaleducation was not expected to emerge as themainstay of the education system, as it wouldinevitably delay the reform and advance of formaleducation. UNESCO made a counter proposal,namely that basic education combine the meritsof formal and non-formal education respectively.Thus, we offer the opportunity for education to themaximum number of children through theinnovation and improvement of primary educationand, at the same time, offer at least the basic -even minimal - knowledge and skills necessary forliving in society to those who cannot attend school.

This basic education should be expanded and upgraded gradually as and when development effortsmaterialize. It was a pragmatic approach supported by many delegates from the Member States of the UN.

Phillip Coombs in the end calmed down and came up with a more reasonable approach. It was during thisdebate that the basic ingredients of EDUCATION FOR ALL were germinated. It is, indeed, the strange ironyof fate that I am today speaking to you in defense of non-formal education instead of advocating UNESCO'spolicy of a formal and non-formal education mix.

Non-formal education had assumed the societal role of education for much longer than formal education,as the latter is a much more recent development. This was what had happened in Japan as witnessed in thecases of terakoya and shijuku (private seminars). These widespread non-formal education institutions had,in fact, contributed to Japan's modernization through her success in mass literacy and in the introduction ofWestern medicine and modern thought. This was equally the case for post-war Japan in the late 1940s and1950s. Kominkans (non-formal community education centres) were set up throughout the country, whichaccelerated the process of democratization and rural development. While the term "non-formal education"was not used, the value of out-of-school education had long been recognized in history. Why, then, was itraised afresh in the 1970s? It was mainly due to the slow or stagnating pace of social and economicprogress in newly independent countries, particularly in Africa, after ten years of independence and subsequent

Public Open Forum 7

participation in the UN system. Many development economists and official development agencies voicedtheir dissatisfaction and concern over the school-centered approach of UNESCO. They were seriouslyconcerned about the mismatch between the needs of development and the existing conditions of schoolsystems. Formal education in those developing countries tended to suffer from conventional curriculumcontent and old-fashioned teaching methods, such as rote learning. It was also basically elitist and urban-centered. UNESCO was considered to be the advocate of this school-centric educational developmentapproach. Non-formal education advocates, therefore, claimed that non-formal education was more directlylinked to the needs of development and that this approach would be more efficient and cost-effective.

We made every effort to achieve a literate world by the end of the 20th Century,in which all peoples would enjoy educational opportunities. But, unfortunately,we could not realize this dream of humankind. Our last effort was made in 1990through the organization of the Jomtien Conference to work out the strategytowards the year 2000. Since then, EFA, combining both formal and non-formaleducation, has become the priority of international development strategies but,much to our regret, development cooperation in the last ten years has mainlyconcentrated on assistance to primary schools. Non-formal education to meetthe needs of those who have missed out on schooling has been neglected.While I am strongly advocating the importance of NFE today, I must confess thatmy influence is extremely limited and I sincerely wish that Phillip Coombs wouldre-emerge again with his power of persuasion of those days. Consequently, I amindeed greatly relieved and reassured that UNESCO and JICA have joined effortstoday to organize this symposium at a time when non-formal education is in aless than favourable situation.

When we discuss NFE today, our first concern should be those who have missedout on schooling, those who have dropped out of school and those who arelikely to be excluded from schooling or any form of education in the future. Thereare over 800 million adult illiterates, of which 64 percent are women. These illiteratepersons are concentrated in the Asia region and their numbers are estimated tobe around 600 million, five times the entire population of Japan.

The total number of illiterates in the world is declining, but one cannot simplyrejoice over this, as there are many pitfalls in the statistics. There are the so-called "E9" countries in the world, namely nine countries that have the largestilliterate populations, five of which are located in this region. Of these countries,only China and Indonesia have recorded a significant decline in their illiteratepopulations. On the contrary, illiteracy in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh isincreasing. China has registered a decrease of 40,000,000 illiterates in 10 yearssince 1990, and this statistical figure of one country alone is influencing the worldliteracy statistics. Even in China the new literates are mainly males, and it isestimated that in 2015 China's female illiterates are likely to constitute 77 percentof the total population of illiterates. While the number of adult illiterates betweenthe ages of 15 and 24 is generally decreasing throughout the region, such numbersare likely to increase in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Furthermore, literacy statisticscover only those over the age of 15, and do not include young school dropoutsbelow age 15 who are likely to be future adult illiterates. In 2000, 46 millionchildren in this region did not attend primary school, and they constitute thefuture illiteracy reserves of Asia. Furthermore, most statistics do not include thenumber of adults over age 45. Given the region's trend of ageing societies,substantial numbers of elderly people unable to read or write will no doubt be aserious social problem in the future.

The Urgency of Responding to Unfulfilled TasksEFA and NFE

Illiteracy and NFE


There has been much discussion over whether literacy contributes directly todevelopment or not. It is not easy to draw conclusions from a simplisticcomparison between GDP aggregates and literacy rates. During the 1970s,UNESCO and UNDP jointly carried out an experimental world literacy programmewith a view to establishing scientific proof of the positive relationship betweenliteracy and development. But the experiment faced many difficulties and couldnot come to any clear conclusion. For example, no accurate causality betweenliteracy development and agricultural development could be established giventhe fact that the increase in agricultural production and the corresponding increasein family income are conditioned not only by literacy development, but also byclimate and the use of new seeds and fertilizers. However, the opposite claimcould be more easily generalized - namely, with the large number of existingilliterate farmers, no breakthrough could be possible for modernizing agricultureand achieving rural development.

I am personally convinced that the key to Japan's development could be tracedback to the widespread influence of terakoya in the pre-Meiji Period. It was asocial phenomenon of spontaneous bottom-up movement of ordinary people,such as merchants, farmers and artisans, who sought their own ways of educatingthemselves and their children. From this example, one can conclude that thegeneral educational level of a people can be attributed to development. It isimportant for them to fully understand that education can facilitate theirempowerment and social participation, and also that the country and societyhave to make efforts for development. If development is viewed not just ineconomic terms, but in broader terms to encompass the enhancement of values,human qualities, outlook, attitudes and the quality of human relations and sociallife, literacy is definitely linked closely to development. Poverty alleviation, a priorityof current international development strategies, is definitely linked to the generaleducational level of people, to which non-formal education can make effectivecontributions today.

It has been pointed out that political will is essential for literacy development, butit is equally important to harness the will of administrators and professionalssuch as teachers and specialists. The development of local administration,government financial resources and the decentralization of authority are alsonecessary conditions for literacy development, as well as the training of non-formal education personnel. However, the most important factor today is theenhancement of "popular will" - illiterate people, themselves, must have the willto learn. For this purpose, NGOs and the mass media have a critical role to play.Under current circumstances, EFA will not be achieved through formal educationalone, and the strengthening of NFE is essential.

Developing countries in Asia are shifting their priority from Education for All toQuality Education for All and further to Lifelong Education for All. Some of themare rapidly advancing to the level of developed countries and the gaps are seriouslywidening among developing countries.

UNESCO has single-handedly struggled for literacy development since 1946.Other agencies have occasionally intervened, but their assistance was notsustained on a continuing basis. One can equally witness the lukewarm lip serviceto literacy in developing countries, themselves. The original target of the year2000 for literacy development could not be met, and now we have a new targetdate of 2015 adopted at the Dakar World Education Forum. Serious concernsare already being expressed in many quarters as to the feasibility of meeting thegoals set in the Dakar Declaration by 2015. If these new goals are not met bythen, there is a serious risk of the literacy issue disappearing from the international

Development andliteracy

Necessity of popularwill

Public Open Forum 9

agenda, as people may judge illiteracy to be a problem beyond internationalcooperation. If this situation occurs, the illiterates, especially over 500 millionilliterate women, will not only be excluded from the joint efforts of the internationalcommunity, but their existence will be altogether forgotten. In this connection,the UN International Literacy Decade for 2003-2012 has assumed criticalimportance. All stakeholders, especially governments, the United Nations, majorODA countries, NGOs and all concerned people in civil society, can no longertake an easygoing attitude, but should absolutely form a firm will for literacy toachieve clearly visible outcomes within ten years time. This is, indeed, the majorunfulfilled task in the history of humankind.

The value of non-formal education lies in its diversity and flexibility. In manycountries during the early stages of independence and development, non-formaleducation played an important role in nation building. In order to facilitate nationalunity and to strengthen the idea of nationhood among diverse peoples, manycountries promoted national languages and inculcated political/civic virtuesthrough non-formal education under the strong direction of the government.Many developing countries are multilingual nations, and their choice of nationalor official languages is a delicate issue. Most Asian countries have fortunatelymanaged to settle this issue during the early stages of national development.However, the choice of language for literacy among ethnic minorities and tribalcommunities who have no written scripts for their vernacular languages still posesa serious problem for which an urgent solution needs to be found.

What we mean by "literacy" today is no longer a simple matter of merely writingone's name and reading simple texts. What constitutes the mainstream of thecurrent approach is functional literacy and empowerment. The mastery of literacyskills facilitates improvement in the quality of life and active social participation. Itmeans the enhancement of human consciousness and social responsibility.Unfortunately, however, many new literates will find nothing new to read and willbe at risk for relapsing back into illiteracy. It is, therefore, an urgent and importantissue to create a literate environment where they can not only retain their literacyskills, but also engage in continued learning to acquire new knowledge and skills.For this purpose, literacy centres must be set up that are accessible by thenewly literate, such as newspaper reading centres at bus stops.

Starting from literacy and non-formal education programmes, many countrieshave established equivalency schemes and programmes linking formal and non-formal education. Newly literate people would have an important incentive tocontinue literacy learning if they could obtain diplomas and school certificates.Certain countries in the region have successfully developed systems of non-formal education whereby learners can advance to secondary and highereducation.

However, the main interest of the majority of illiterates is to improve the quality oflife in their homes and communities and to increase family incomes. Non-formaleducation, therefore, should link literacy instruction with activities related to healthand hygiene, family income and household improvement, family planning, raisingchickens and bees, growing new crops, making handicrafts or other productivework. In certain countries, the preservation and production of traditional culturalarts and crafts is taking place under the auspices of non-formal education.

Non-formal education centres will eventually function like the kominkan in Japan.This is an institutionalized and nationally registered non-formal education

Challenge for the Future

Diversity of NFE

Sectoral links


establishment catering to the learning needs of individuals and contributing tothe empowerment of community life. The typical example of this is the communitylearning centre (CLC) or the World Terakoya Movement which UNESCO and theNational Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan (NFUAJ) is promotingcurrently. This type of institution is being widely accepted, and is beginning toshow positive outcomes. Certain countries have adopted the legal provisions forincluding CLCs in the national system of education as part of the nationwideinfrastructure of non-formal education. This will no doubt become a model forthe future.

Early childhood care and education (ECCE) has become an important elementof EFA since the Jomtien Conference under the strong support of UNICEF. Theneeds of many other socially vulnerable groups have been identified. These groupsinclude people with disabilities, ethnic and linguistic minorities, slum dwellersand street children, refugees and the internally displaced. Non-formal educationis actively engaged in meeting the urgent and complex needs of these sociallydeprived and disadvantaged groups in order to alleviate social, economic, politicaland, above all, educational discriminations and gaps.

Globalization and the resulting socio-economic transformations are making amajor impact on developing countries, especially in the field of education. Thosecountries, societies or institutions that fail to adjust themselves to such a powerfulwave of globalization will face serious marginalization. Many rigid formal educationsystems, unfortunately, find it difficult to respond quickly to such dynamic changeand non-formal education has to play an important role in filling the gaps, thanksto its flexibility. For example, many governments took so long to install computersin all classrooms, but private, non-formal education computer classesmushroomed alongside the main streets of cities and towns. Non-formal educationis also expected to play a powerful role in environmental awareness, the preventionof HIV/AIDS or protecting the human rights of AIDS patients. With the spread ofdiploma disease, admission to higher levels of education has become fiercelycompetitive, and one will find the mushrooming of private schools and manyforms of preparatory and cram schools. The private sector also finds educationan attractive field of intervention, as it has proved itself to be a commerciallyviable target of investment. The existence of non-formal education programmesand schemes to respond to rapid social change will no doubt constitute aneffective barometer of judging the level of social and economic development inany given country or society.

As the standard of living improves, people tend to demand higher levels ofeducation because they are no longer satisfied with economic and materialaffluence alone, but will seek a higher level of satisfaction in regard to the qualityof inner values or cultural values. Development is definitely linked to this level ofsocial need and awareness. Many forms of both public and private non-formallearning arrangements will emerge, such as open lectures, cultural schools, andclubs for hobbies, civic discussion or sports. Non-formal education will not belimited to one-way lecturing and passive note-taking, but will also include morespontaneous and self-motivated actions and creative activities, such as voluntarywork, creative arts, therapy and exercise, IT learning, and many activities relatedto self-realization and future orientation. Individuals may engage in activitieswarning against undesirable trends and signaling awareness in regard to society'sfuture.

It is equally the role of non-formal education to fight against many negative existingtrends in society, such as materialism, excessive competition, mental isolation,seclusion and egotism, domestic violence and the collapse of families, suicide

Globalization and NFE

Public Open Forum 11

and social crimes, discrimination and widening gaps. Another major role of non-formal education is to facilitate basic human self-transformation.

These roles of non-formal education are often supplementary or complementaryto formal education in the provision of basic education at the early stages ofdevelopment, but it will soon assume a more independent role when schoolingis well established. Its role is central in a learning society through all stages ofdevelopment, especially in the post-industrial development stages as a mainfactor in lifelong learning.

It functions to meet the individual needs of learning, the needs of social harmonyand advancement, and the challenges to redress the negative outcomes ofdevelopment, social inequality and inequity through a problem-solving approach.Nevertheless, it is not enough just to follow the European model of adult education-- the region will have to develop a new model of social progress.

The 21st Century will be marked by a trend of searching and identifying new values. The outside impositionof force upon vulnerable groups or nations with specific values will have to stop. New values will have torespect the human rights of all and to recognize the cultural identities and diversities of all. People areearnestly searching for new values of peace and conviviality. We believe that non-formal education will play arole as the main actor in the search and creation of new values. For this purpose, individual freedom ofthought and self-expression will have to be assured, and free dialogue based on each one's own consciencewill have to be promoted.

All of the past efforts towards peace were shattered by the inhuman terrorist attack of 9/11. The world trendhas reversed to a culture of violence and conflict in which certain armed action is one-sidedly justified,resulting in unceasing murder and terror with innocent women and children as the main victims. We earnestlyhope that non-formal education will be able to form world opinion for realizing peace by mobilizing thepeace-loving voices of all citizens. The desire of humankind toward peace and conviviality will have to be re-established as the values of the new century for which a new non-formal education drive will have to be setin motion.

UNESCO, the conscience of the UN system, will have to exert a strong leadership in this venture. It is equallyhoped that Japan's ODA will take the place of honour in the world's efforts for building peace and convivialityby firmly committing itself to the strengthening of the newly oriented non-formal education programme ofaction.

The Contemporary Challenge of NFE


1-2 UNESCO's Regional Strategies to Promote NFEDarunee Riewpituk, Programme Specialist in Continuing Education,APPEAL

Asia-Pacific Programme of Education for All (APPEAL )

APPEAL is a regional co-operative programme designed to promote basiceducation for all in Asia and the Pacific. APPEAL was launched in New Delhi on23 February 1987. It originated as a recommendation of the Fifth RegionalConference of Ministers of Education and Those Responsible for EconomicPlanning in Asia and the Pacific (MINEDAP V, Bangkok, 1985) and, subsequently,the resolution was unanimously adopted by the twenty-third session of UNESCO'sGeneral Conference (Sofia, 1985).

The overall aim of APPEAL is to promote lifelong learning through the integrationof all aspects of educational planning, including the Eradication of Illiteracy,Universalization of Primary Education, and Promotion of Continuing Education.Although during the 1990s APPEAL focused mainly on non-formal adulteducation, it has expanded its activities to cover formal primary education, inparticular the promotion of good quality, child-friendly and inclusive learningenvironments. It has also adopted Early Childhood Care and Education as aconcern in view of the Dakar Framework for Action adopted at the World EducationForum (Senegal, 2000). In line with UNESCO's global strategy, APPEAL is puttingemphasis on gender mainstreaming in all programmes.

Following recommendations from the Member States, APPEAL prioritizes its actioninto three main areas:

1. Community participation and ownership2. Improving quality and enhancing learning achievement3. Reaching the unreached

The activities of APPEAL have been mainly supported by Funds-in-Trust fromJapan, in addition to UNESCO's Regular Programme Budget and voluntarycontributions from Member States.

APPEAL's strategies for literacy and continuing education can be summarized in the diagram shown below:

The following describes APPEAL's activities and strategies in 2004-2005, categorized according to the threemain priority action areas listed above.

Although governments have the main responsibilityfor achieving EFA and promoting a learning society,it is not realistic to expect government alone toprovide all the necessary services to communities.Local people should take the lead for developingtheir own community by mobilizing the availablehuman, material and financial resources throughlocal mechanisms. To promote communityparticipation and ownership, APPEAL supportscountries in the region in setting up communitylearning centres (CLCs), which are usually managedby community people.

Origin

Aims

Main action areas

APPEAL's Activities and Strategies in 2004-2005

a) Community Participation and Ownership

1

UNESCO APPEALs strategies on Literacy and Continuing Education

Community participation& ownership

CLC: Delivery mechanism

Legislation, policy & planning, synergy with FE under EFA/UNLD

Reaching the unreachedPromotion of access forDisadvantaged groups

Improvement of quality

Resource development

Regional

network

(e.g. ARTC)

Info

rmat

ion

shar

ing

(e.g

. dat

abas

e)

Policy dialoguesM&E, Feedback


A CLC is defined as a local educational institution outside the formal educationsystem, for villages or urban slum areas. The aim of the CLC is to empower

individuals and promote community development through lifelongeducation for all people in the community, including adults, youthand children.

A CLC can be set up any place in the community easily accessibleto all of the people. It is usually located in already existing buildingslike the health centre, temple, mosque or primary school.

The CLC can function as an information and resource centre, oras the venue for education and training, community networkingand various development activities. Its activities should be flexibleand participatory. One of the strong features of CLCs is theirsensitivity to context, which allows each CLC to develop its ownstructure, functions and activities to meet the local needs andsituation.

By including CLCs as an integral part of an EFA plan andimplementation, as well as through coordination with other sectorsunder the overall national development agenda, CLCs will besustained as an integral part of the government strategies forcommunity development, particularly for poverty alleviation. Atthe community level, external resources and agendas will be

introduced into CLCs through bottom-up and participatory approaches withoutimposing on local communities so that these initiatives will be owned andsustained by the community people. At present, this project is supported byJapanese Funds-in-Trust (JFIT) and the Regular Budget.

APPEAL aims to further strengthen CLCs as effective delivery mechanisms forliteracy and continuing education programmes and community developmentwithin the framework of the national EFA action plans and the UNLD, as well asnational development plans and strategies.

The countries taking part in this project for the period 1998-2003 includeBangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lao PDR, Malaysia,Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines,Thailand, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam. New countries joining the project and receivingsupport from APPEAL are Kazakhstan, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan and theMaldives.

Bangladesh, Mongolia, Nepal and Cambodia have completed the evaluationof CLCs. China and Bhutan are evaluating project outcomes. The evaluationexercise will be continued toidentify the positive impact and strategies, aswell as the remaining challenges for CLCs.

National seminars will be organized to contribute to strengthening the CLCplanning and implementation in the context of the EFA action plans and theUNLD.

A regional workshop was organized to share good practices of CLCs innetworking and linkages for community development and to developinnovative strategies to strengthen CLCs.

The training of CLC personnel will continue, and resources and learningdeveloped according to local needs and contexts.

New countries will be supported to set up CLCs.

Community Learning Centres

Background

Objective

Participating countries

Strategies and activities


b) Improvement of Quality

Community participation and ownership are the keys to successful implementation of grassroots activities.Nevertheless, it is not realistic to assume that everything will work smoothly once community people haveownership and project funds. The following projects focus on improving the quality of literacy and continuingeducation programmes in response to community needs.

Promoting Systematic Resource Development and Capacity-building in NFE in Asia

Over the last decade, APPEAL has helped countries in the region to developvarious NFE resource materials and to promote community learning centres (CLCs)as NFE delivery mechanisms. However, not all countries have fully made use ofthese resources and the potential of CLCs due to weak system mechanisms forresource development and capacity-building in the NFE sub-sector. As aconsequence, literacy and continuing education activities tend to be time-boundprojects depending on external resource inputs, rather than part of a systematicand strategic EFA plan. During the EFA Coordinators Meeting for East and South-East Asia organized in Bangkok in September 2003, NFE experts observed thatmany countries, particularly the poorer ones, needed materials, technicalresources and training for NFE personnel in the areas of management, research,training and curriculum development. In view of this observation, the project on"Promoting Systematic Resource Development and Capacity-building in NFE inAsia" was launched by APPEAL. This project is supported by EFA Funds-in-Trust.

The objective is to develop comprehensive and concrete NFE master plans andnational networks to establish systematic NFE mechanisms for material andtechnical resource development and capacity-building.

The countries participating in the project are Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao PDR,Nepal and Pakistan. Three new countries (Bangladesh, Viet Nam and East Timor)will join the project in 2005.

All participating countries have completed country studies to identify theexisting resources of NFE and local needs. Analysis of the data collectedhas also taken place.

Each country is organizing a national workshop to formulate a master planfor materials development and capacity-building at all levels based on thestudy findings.

Participating countries will establish national resource developmentmechanisms and a network based on the master plans.

APPEAL will organize a meeting for participating countries to share and revisetheir master plans. The three new countries will be invited to learn from theother countries before starting their own project activities.

One of the goals of the Dakar Framework for Action is to ensure that the learningneeds of young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriatelearning and life skills programmes. Life skills can be defined in broad termsrelating to various activities taking place in daily life, for example, earning a living,health care such as HIV/AIDS prevention, and conflict resolution. Because theidea of life skills is broad and interpreted in diverse ways, there must be a commonplatform regarding the definition and concrete strategies. Non-formal educationis recognized as a major approach to inculcate life skills that help make people

Background

Objective



Launching Life Skill Programmes through NFE

Background


live more productive, socially-oriented and healthier lives. This project is supportedby Japanese Funds-in-Trust (JFIT) and the Regular Budget.

One objective is to develop definitions in the local context and practical strategiesfor effective implementation of life skills through NFE. Another objective is toinclude life skills through NFE in the EFA strategies and actions to meet thelearning needs of all children, young people and adults, especially those who aredisadvantaged.

APPEAL is supporting six countries: Bhutan, Kazakhstan, India, Philippines, VietNam and Uzbekistan. Under the same framework, UIE is supporting threecountries: Bangladesh, China and Laos.

In 2003, fifteen countries in the region undertook studies on life skills activitiesthrough NFE.

In December 2003, UNESCO and its Institute for Statistics (UIS) jointlyorganized a regional workshop in Bali for participating countries to share theresults of their studies and develop a common concept for life skills basedon the studies, as well as to develop a practical framework and strategiesfor implementing life skills through NFE.

As a follow-up activity to this regional workshop, countries submittedproposals to UNESCO, which selected six countries according to the qualityof their proposals and degree of commitment.

All countries organized a national workshop to develop definitions of lifeskills in their own context and develop strategies for implementation of lifeskills through CLCs as a pilot project.

As outcomes of the pilot project, a curriculum and materials (including aguidebook for the implementation of life skills) will be developed and widelyused.

UNESCO will organize a regional workshop for UNESCO and UIE participatingcountries to share their experiences during the pilot project.

UNESCO, together with experts and participating countries, will produce aguidebook on life skills learning through NFE based on country experiences.The guidebook will contain definitions and strategies for implementing lifeskills activities at the grassroots level.

Synergies between Formal and Non-Formal Education through Equivalency Programmes

The importance of synergies between formal and non-formal education has beendiscussed over the years in order to develop a comprehensive learning systemfor promoting lifelong learning. At the community level, coordination betweenformal schools and learning centres has taken place to share buildings, teachersand other resources. One example is the cooperation between ASP schools andcommunity learning centres, although this often depends on local initiatives ratherthan systematic mechanisms.

To achieve EFA goals and promote lifelong learning, there is a need to strengthenformal and non-formal education through the development of equivalencyprogrammes (EPs) for out-of-school children, youth and adults. Theseprogrammes will enable them to access basic education and continuing educationin order to improve their level of knowledge. Some countries in the region havedeveloped EPs that facilitate the flexibility of student entry to and from formaland non-formal channels of education. EPs can feature systematic linkagesbetween various NFE programmes and the existing formal general or vocational

Objective



Background


education systems. EPs can expand the learning time and space of learners byproviding them with appropriate credentials in recognition of their learningachievement that are also a good incentive for them to continue their learning.EPs are alternative education programmes equivalent to the formal system notonly in terms of curriculum and certification, but also in characteristics such aspolicy support mechanisms, mode of delivery, staff training, and support activitiessuch as monitoring, evaluation and the assessment of learning. This project issupported by Japanese Funds-in-Trust (JFIT) and the Regular Budget.

The objective is to strengthen coordination between formal and non-formaleducation as part of the national EFA action plans in order to provide alternativelearning opportunities through NFE for people, particularly those who aredisadvantaged.

The first phase focusing on research to identify EP models covers four countries:India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. The second phase will focus onthe development of EPs in countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, China,Lao PDR, Mongolia, Myanmar and Viet Nam.

Research studies on equivalency programmes in India, Indonesia, thePhilippines and Thailand will be completed by December 2004. The studieswill be analyzed and published.

A regional workshop will be organized for sharing good practices and differentmodels with new countries in the region (Bangladesh, Cambodia, China,Lao PDR, Mongolia, Myanmar and Viet Nam). The studies will be used asthe main resource materials.

UNESCO will support some participating countries in developing their ownEPs.

ICT-NFE for Community Empowerment

There is a strong conviction that information and communication technology(ICT) can be harnessed to promote NFE activities in Asia and the Pacific. Although

there is increasing awareness of the potential of thistechnology, as well as increasing access, many countriesin the region are yet to benefit from the possibilitiesoffered by ICT. In particular, much more work needs tobe done to reach the target beneficiaries: socio-economically disadvantaged people who generally livein rural, remote and isolated areas. They include farmers,the rural poor, women and girls, out-of-school children,youth and adults, and unemployed people. The digitaldivide between the poor and the rich poses new threatsto increase educational and socio-economic disparities.It is, therefore, important to ensure that disadvantagedgroups learn to benefit from the use of ICT in anincreasingly knowledge-based society.

The overall objective is to explore effective ICT use for NFE to empower learnersand communities through community-based programmes such as CLCs.

They include Indonesia, Lao PDR, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uzbekistan, China, India,Iran, the Philippines and Viet Nam.

Objective



Background


Objective


In 2003 a planning meeting was organized for the first group of countries -Indonesia, Lao PDR, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Uzbekistan. The purpose wasto develop plans and strategies for implementing the pilot project. As a follow-up to the meeting, these countries received assistance in initiating ICT forNFE through CLCs.

A regional workshop was organized in Lao PDR on 22-25 June 2004 for thefirst group to share their experiences with the second group of countries -China, India, Iran, the Philippines and Viet Nam. Workshop participantsidentified challenges, discussed issues and prepared action plans, particularlyto help the new countries plan and develop strategies for their pilot projects.

After the workshop, the first group will share experiences and hold policydialogues in their respective countries, while the second group will initiatepilot activities at selected CLCs.

In mid-2005, a regional forum will provide the opportunity for participants toshare project experiences and organize training for project personnel.

Local Networking of CLCs for Community Development

The Community Learning Centre Project has been carried out since 1998 withinthe framework of APPEAL. As of 2003, CLCs have been introduced in 21 countriesthroughout the region with support from APPEAL, which has facilitated theexchange of experiences among the participating countries.

These countries have expressed their positive views about CLCs as importantdelivery mechanisms for literacy and continuing education. At the same time,many of them have reported that the activities are often limited to education only.In fact, CLC activities should include those related to health, agriculture andcommunity development. Thus, NFE/CLC personnel need to improve their skillsin establishing contacts and networking with agencies from sectors other thaneducation for the purpose of community development. This project is supportedby Japanese Funds-in-Trust (JFIT) and the Regular Budget.

The objective is to strengthen CLCs through the establishment of local networkingwith various organizations for community development so as to demonstrate thepotential of CLCs as community development agents under the overall nationalEFA and social development strategies.

China, Japan, Indonesia, India, the Philippines and Thailand are participating inthe first phase of the project. Second phase countries will be selected accordingto their commitment and potential.

China, Japan, Indonesia, India, the Philippines and Thailand are undertakingresearch studies to identify good models (best practices) of local networkingand linkages.

A regional workshop will be organized for participating countries to shareresearch findings. Participants will learn and practice how to establishnetworks and cooperate with various organizations, using the models asguidelines.

The participating countries will apply the knowledge and experiences gainedfrom the workshop to the actual implementation of networking and linkages.

NFE trainers and CLC managers will receive orientation and training in orderto create and strengthen networking and linkages at CLCs for the purposeof community development.

Field experiences will be shared with planners and policy makers throughpublications and field visits.

Background

Background

Objective




c) Reaching the Unreached

Although in many countries of the region the overall literacy rate has increased since Jomtien, there are stilllarge numbers of people who have no access to basic education, including people living in remote ruralareas, ethnic minorities, slum/street dwellers and persons with disabilities. To achieve EFA goals, it is crucialto serve these previously unreached groups through developing appropriate interventions to meet their specificneeds. The following APPEAL projects provide learning opportunities for ethnic minorities and out-of-schoolchildren.

Mother Tongue/Billingual Literacy Programme for Ethnic Minorities

During the last biennium (2002-2003), UNESCO Bangkok supported five countries(Bangladesh, China, India, the Philippines and Thailand) as they implementedliteracy programmes for ethnic minorities using the mother tongue/bilingualapproach. These countries have completed the development of mother tongue/bilingual literacy materials. UNESCO Bangkok continues to support these fivecountries, and has extended support to additional countries in the region. Theseprogrammes can be models for developing learning materials in the mother tonguefor formal primary education. This project is supported by Japanese Funds-in-Trust (JFIT) and the Regular Budget.

To strengthen the provision ofbasic education for ethnicminority people by means ofrelevant and comprehensiveliteracy programmes that lead toan increase in the literacy rateand con-tribute to efforts topreserve their culture andimprove the quality of their lives.

Countries participating in theproject include Bangladesh,China, India, the Philippines,Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal and Viet Nam.

The steps of programme implementation in each country are as follows:

Develop a writing system (in case it does not exist).

Develop mother tongue/bilingual literacy materials after the writing system iscompleted.

Organize the training of facilitators/teachers to use the materials.

Conduct literacy classes.

Undertake research to observe and find out whether at the initial stagelearners learn fasterand better with these materials than with the nationallanguage.

The first five countries have developed materials in a minority language(Bangladesh in Sadri, China in Lahu, India in Rabha, the Philippines in Madbikinand Thailand in Karen). They are trying out the materials in literacy classes thatare also the subjects of research. Some of the newly joining countries (Cambodia,Indonesia, Nepal and Viet Nam) are developing writing systems, while others(where a script already exists for the minority language) are developing thematerials. UNESCO will organize a venue for the countries to meet and sharetheir experiences. UNESCO will also support each country in organizing nationalmeetings to share project experiences with policy makers and planners.

Objective

Background




The significant number of out-of-school children -- approximately 120 million inthe year 2002 -- is one of the major obstacles for achieving EFA by 2015. Althoughmany governments in the region have ratified the UN Convention on the Rightsof the Child and committed themselves to achieving the EFA goal, many childrenfrom disadvantaged groups are often excluded from government basic educationprogrammes. Many of these children have no legal status or identity, as they areoften mobile and belong to ethnic or refugee communities. Consequently,charitable organizations, NGOs and ad hoc government projects takeresponsibility for providing them with education and other social services. Inaddition, social exclusion practices in some countries, especially for girls, areanother major obstacle to the achievement of EFA.

Many countries in the region need to incorporate the programmes of NGOs andothers into national EFA action plans. This is one way to achieve the EFA goal ofproviding free and compulsory primary education for all children, including thosedwelling on the streets, living in slums or in ethnic minority villages. Efforts toreach these groups must be strengthened and emphasize measures to get themin school or in alternative non-formal education programmes. The national EFAaction plans need to be reviewed in this context, in collaboration with NGOs andtheir networks, in order to accommodate the needs of out-of-school childrenthrough flexible, child-friendly and inclusive approaches. This project is supportedby EFA Funds-in-Trust.

This project seeks to ensure quality basic education for out-of-school children,especially street children, within the framework of the National EFA Action Planin each country.

The countries participating in the project are Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan and thePhilippines.

Participating countries are currently undertaking action research on out-of-school children, focusing on overcoming barriers to education, educationfor social inclusion and good practices.

The countries will organize a workshop to prepare national plans for initiatingactivities and networking with the government, NGOs and the private sector.

UNESCO will organize regional training for key personnel from governmentsand NGOs implementing the project.

The countries will convene a national forum to publicize the project and itsobjectives at different evels in the country.

APPEAL Resource Materials in Literacy and Continuing EducationOne of APPEAL's major achievements over the decade has been the development of a systematic adultliteracy curriculum framework, as well as a training and delivery system. Several countries in the region havedeveloped and adapted materials to be used as resources for training programmes at the national and sub-national levels.

The following resource materials, developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s, provide systematic viewsand ideas for literacy and continuing education:

APPEAL Training Materials for Literacy Personnel (ATLP), in 12 volumes

APPEAL Materials for Continuing Education (ATLP-CE), in 8 volumes

APPEAL Manual for the Planning and Management of Literacy and Continuing Education (AMPM)

Background

Promotion of Improved Learning Opportunities for Out-of-School Children

Objective



Since 1995, APPEAL has developed materials for training middle-level personnelin literacy and continuing education, as well as for workers at the grassrootslevel who actually conduct the programmes.

Handbook on the Effective Implementation of Continuing Education

Manual on Small-Scale Enterprise

Practitioners' Manual on Monitoring and Evaluation

NFE Facilitators Handbook

Materials Development at the Community Level and Literacy Clip Art

CLC Management Handbook

Mother Tongue Literacy Programmes for Minority Language Communities

Since 1980, the Asia Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU), in cooperationwith APPEAL, has carried out the Asian/Pacific Joint Production Programme ofMaterials for Neo-Literates in Rural Areas (AJP). Prototype materials in Englishhave been disseminated to Member States for adaptation and use at thegrassroots level.

Resource Pack on Literacy

The above resource materials, developed over the last two decades, have helpedcountries in the region to develop comprehensive NFE programmes. However,the resources for NFE and the development mechanisms are still weak, comparedwith the formal education system. In particular, personnel training and materialsdevelopment often occur on an ad hoc basis or as the result of a once-onlyworkshop organized by the government and NGOs.

The objective is to collect and coordinate available resources in literacy andcontinuing education in order to present these resources in a comprehensivepackage.

The resource pack will be distributed to all countries in the region.

UNESCO, together with experts in the region, have compiled and analyzedthe existing resource materials of UNESCO and other organizations.

The resource materials are being prepared in print, CD and online formats.

The resource pack will be disseminated through APPEAL's partners suchas the ARTC, governments and NGOs, as well as international and donoragencies.

Policy for the Promotion of EFA and the UNLDExperiences and good practices, developed and obtained from various pilot projects at the grassroots level,should be reflected in policy level dialogues in order to mobilize political support for sustaining and expandinginnovative strategies. The monitoring and evaluation reports of pilot projects and resource materials can beused as concrete evidence in such dialogues.

To support policy dialogues for the promotion of EFA and the UNLD, APPEAL is promoting the followingactivity:

Background


Objective



Advocating Literacy for All: The UN Literacy Decade - Implementation of EFA andUNLD Action Plans

The United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD) was launched in February 2003 topromote literacy for all, particularly among non-literates, women and out-of-

school girls, through both formal and non-formal education. As UNESCOis the coordinating agency for the UNLD and EFA, in September 2003 theRegional Bureau organized an official launch of the Decade, in conjunctionwith the CONFINTEA V Review Meeting and EFA Coordinators Meetingfor East and Southeast Asia. Through these initiatives, the UNLD hasbeen linked with EFA national action plans and implementation. Advocacyfor literacy among various partners and stakeholders will be of criticalimportance for strengthening these international commitments that sharecommon goals.

GOAL 1:GOAL 1:GOAL 1:GOAL 1:GOAL 1: To support each country in planning and managing activities for EFA and the UNLD

This means formulating and implementing, as a follow-up to the initiatives madein 2003, concrete strategies for "literacy for all" during the UNLD in the countriesof the region, in close coordination with EFA national action plans.

Some countries will assess the current situation in literacy by undertakingnational studies of literacy strategies under the UNLD and EFA.

A meeting will take place for countries to share their experiences related tothe UNLD and EFA and to develop concrete strategies for resourcemobilization.

Technical assistance will be provided to facilitate resource mobilization andthe fulfillment of national plans.

GOAL 2GOAL 2GOAL 2GOAL 2GOAL 2: To promote advocacy of the UNLD

This means raising awareness of the UNLD and EFA not only among educationpersonnel, but also policy makers and the general public in order to mobilizeresources for promoting lifelong learning and achieving a learning society.

UNESCO has reviewed existing advocacy materials and decided whetheradditional materials (and of what kind) should be produced.

UNESCO is producing advocacy materials in the form of promotional kitsfor raising public awareness of the UNLD. These kits will be disseminated tovarious stakeholders including policy makers and the general public.

UNESCO will consult with international media of various kinds to exploreeffective promotion strategies as well as further resource mobilization.Selected media activities will be carried out accordingly.

UNESCO, in consultation with other agencies, will assist governments inpromoting the UNLD and EFA.

ARTC-APPEAL Regional Network

APPEAL's programmes in the Member States operate from the regional andsub-regional levels to the grassroots level through a network of selectedgovernmental and non-governmental organizations involved in the promotion ofbasic education and lifelong learning. Among these, the APPEAL Resource andTraining Consortium (ARTC), consisting of leading institutions in the Asia-Pacificregion, has been formed as a co-operative institutional mechanism to support

Background



What is ARTC?


and facilitate APPEAL's mission to achieve the goals of EFA and the UNLD toprovide greater opportunities for lifelong learning. To date, there are thirteenmembers of ARTC:

Asia Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU),Japan

Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM), Bangladesh

The Faculty of Science, Information Technologyand Education, Northern Territory University,Australia

Indian Institute of Education (IIE), India

Institute for Rural Advancement (INFRA), Malaysia

International Research and Training Centre forRural Education (INRULED), People's Republicof China

Korean Educational Development Institute,Republic of Korea

Department of Non-Formal Education, Thailand

Directorate-General of Out-of-School Education, Youth and Sports, Indonesia

Regional Centre for Educational Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO/INNOTECH), Philippines

National Observatory of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan

BUNYAD, Pakistan

National Resource Center for Non Formal Education (NRC-NFE) and Centerfor Education for All (CEFA), Nepal

The aim of ARTC is to serve as the technical arm of APPEAL and to providetechnical support and assistance to the work of APPEAL in the Member Statesin order to promote EFA in the region, particularly literacy and continuing education.

The main functions of ARTC are:

to promote and popularize the mission and goals of APPEAL in theegion

to contribute to capacity-building by serving as resource persons andproviding training facilities for inter-country programmes

to enhance technical expertise in the region

to participate in and undertake action research and case studies on literacyand continuing education at the grassroots level

to promote the sharing and exchange of experiences

Each year APPEAL organizes an expert meeting with ARTC members, ifpossible in conjunction with regional meetings or a planning meeting of theAsia Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU).

Prior to the meeting, ARTC will prepare a report, focusing on a review ofAPPEAL's activities in literacy and continuing education, as well assuggestions for future actions related to the UNLD and EFA.

In 2004, the ARTC meeting was organized in conjunction with the InternationalSymposium on NFE held in Tokyo in October. The ARTC members reviewedAPPEAL activities and strategies and suggested future activities for APPEAL.These topics for joint research studies were proposed: holistic literacyprogrammes for adolescents, learning assessment and CLCs.



To strengthen the ARTC network and build the capacity of ARTC personneland institutions, ARTC secondments have been initiated. In 2004, ARTCstaff from the Philippines, Thailand and Bangladesh worked with APPEAL. Astaff member from the centre in Kazakhstan is now working with APPEAL.

In addition to information sharing through the ARTC network, information aboutAPPEAL and the experiences of various countries in the region is exchangedand disseminated through the Asia-Pacific Literacy Database (www.accu.or.jp/litdbas/), which is currently being developed jointly by ACCU and APPEAL. Toshare APPEAL activities in the region, the APPEAL Bulletin is published twice ayear.

1-3. JICA's Strategies for Cooperation in the Field of Non-formalEducationJun Sakuma, Team Director, Japan International Cooperation Agency

Overview of JICAs Approach

Non-formal education (NFE) is a diverse field: the activities, the delivery mode,the modality of implementation and/or the level of intervention may vary accordingto the goals and objectives, target groups, or the local environment in which itoperates. NFE takes into account the different local specificsand needs and isprovided in a manner most suitable for the target learners. NFE can respond andadjust quickly to the educational needs of people in times of conflict/post-conflictsituations and natural disasters or other types of instability. It can also contributeto different development concerns that a country may have. This flexibility anddiverse delivery mode, which characterize NFE, are its very strength andcomparative advantage.

While providing tailor-made basic education opportunities for people with differentneeds, NFE can thus contribute in a dynamic way towards the sustainabledevelopment of developing countries by integrating other development sectorconcerns such as health/sanitation, environment, gender, human rights andpeace-building in its provisions and activities.

Education not only is a fundamental human right, but also plays a significant rolein a country's overall development. Education has long been regarded in Japanas laying the foundation for its national development. For this reason, Japan hasbeen supporting and promoting the development of basic education in developingcountries as an essential component of their national development efforts.

In view of the collective efforts of the international community since 1990 to meetthe goals of Education for All (EFA), and more recently in light of the MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDG) adopted in 2000, the Japanese Governmentannounced the launching of its new programme Basic Education for GrowthInitiative: BEGIN during the Kananakis Summit in June 2000.1 Under this BEGINprogramme, the Japanese Government clearly stated its commitment tosupporting NFE as an essential component of basic education for ensuringeffective and flexible opportunities to education for all, particularly to thosehaving difficulties in accessing the formal education system.2

1. BEGIN was announced by the Japanese Government at the G8 Summit held in Kananakis, Canada, in June 2002. Its main aim is tosupport the national efforts of developing countries in expanding basic education, and focuses on the following three support areas: (1)ensuring the opportunity to education; (2) improving the quality of education; and (3) improving educational management.

2. BEGIN: Basic Education for Growth Initiative, full text, p. 8, para.14 (ref. http://www..mofa.go.jp/)

EFA, MDGs andBEGIN

Flexibility and diversity asstrength of NFE

NFE contributes tosustainable nationaldevelopment

http://www.accu.or.jp/litdbashttp://www.accu.or.jp/litdbashttp://www..mofa.go.jp


Since the World Conference on Education for All in 1990, JICA (JapanInternational Cooperation Agency) has been steadily expanding and strengtheningits cooperation in the field of basic education, with its main focus being onformal education. In fact, for a long time, JICA has also been actively integratingNFE in its various development cooperation projects/programmes in sectorsother than, or going beyond, education. However, it is also true that in mostcases the integration of an NFE component was done without a clearunderstanding of the definition or significance of NFE within JICA.

Since 1992, JICA has been rigorously reviewing, evaluating and reorganizing itsstrategies and modalities of cooperation in the field of basic education.3 In 2003,JICA produced the "JICA Position Paper on Basic Education" in which NFE wasidentified as one of the five priority cooperation areas for JICA. With this document,JICA's cooperation strategies and approaches for NFE were clearly defined.4

Today, JICA is further convinced that NFE can greatly contribute to ensuring a"human-centered development" within overall national development programmes.This is because NFE gives due consideration to the needs and the livingenvironment of the disadvantaged population, who are too often left behind intheir own development process. When illiteracy is one of the main sources ofinsecurity, basic education plays a critical role in achieving "human security" (i.e.,guarantees of the freedom to act and freedom from want and fear by ensuringthe survival and dignity of each person) by promoting empowerment and mutualunderstanding among people.

With its broad and rich experiences in technical cooperation in developingcountries, particularly in the field of human development ranging from upstreamsupport to grassroots actions, JICA believes it now has a comparative advantageand the obligation of demonstrating to the international community the importanceof "human-centered development" through the promotion of NFE. In many ways,development cooperation is not only about providing financial assistance. It isalso about human interaction and exchange, and the process of developingtogether based on mutual understanding and respect.

While there are not many NFE projects initiated by JICA, thereare indeed examplesof NFE activities carried out under the name of other technical cooperationprojects. Many of them have taken the form of adult literacy education, skillstraining or community extension work, and have been implemented cutting acrossdifferent sectors. Most importantly, the activities have often been initiated withoutbeing confined to the traditional programme framework of JICA.

In order to make the most of the various developmental effects of NFE, JICA will,thus, work to gradually move away from its traditional cooperation modalitiesand boundaries in the coming years. It will consolidate its cooperation in NFE byadopting a comprehensive approach that consists of multiple modalities andlevels of intervention. This will also mean that JICA will not limit its cooperation inthe field of NFE to the education sector, but will develop close coordination withdifferent sectors and partners to promote greater impact of its projects andprogrammes for sustainable development in developing countries.

JICA will continue to support the international efforts towards EFA and MDGs,and reaffirms its commitment towards promoting basic education to this end. Inparticular, JICA will actively promote NFE as one of its strategic priorities in its

JICA and NFE

JICAs Position Paper onBasic Education

Human-centereddevelopment is JICAstop concern

...and its obligation tothe world

3. In September 1992, JICA set up a thematic research group on Education and Development to examine and deliberate on JICAs futuredirection and strategies for cooperation in the field of education. In January 1994, this thematic group prepared a report on Educationand Development, which became the basis and launching board of JICAs cooperation in the education development of developingcountries.

4. JICAs five priority areas identified under the 2003 Position Paper are as follows: (1) improvement of enrolment in primary and lowersecondary education; (2) improvement of quality in primary and lower secondary education; (3) elimination of the gender gap; (4)promotion of literacy, numeracy and life skills (NFE); and (5) improvement of education management.


basic education support, and will be prepared to play a catalytic role in promotingand strengthening NFE as an indispensable component of the overall developmentstrategy for developing countries.

JICA's Strategies for NFE

The following paragraphs explain JICA's strategies for cooperation in the field ofNFE. Recognizing that the comparative advantage and strength of NFE lie in itsflexibility and ability to contribute to various development concerns, JICA'sstrategies for NFE are presented here in the light of different national developmentgoals and priorities put forward by developing countries. These goals and prioritiesare those commonly found in national development plans, UNDAF,5 PRSP,6 andgovernment white papers. Seven priority development issues have been identified,among which the first directly concerns the development of NFE, and theremaining six issues are concerned with non-educational development prioritieswhere NFE can play a significant role in the process of achieving the respectivegoals.

a) Improving the Educational Environment - Increasing Access and Raising Quality

The role of NFE in the international striving for EFA is becoming increasinglyimportant. Through the provision of literacy education and life skills training7 forout-of-school children, youth and adults, NFE can reach out to the populationotherwise unreached by the formal system, thereby ensuring their fundamentalhuman right to education. In particular, thanks to its flexibility and diversity, NFEcan meet the needs of people which could not be met under the traditionalschool system. NFE provisions can complement formal school education, aswell as contribute to the expansion of basic education as a basis of other typesof development projects.

Furthermore, since NFE is often implemented at the grassroots level, it can provideeducation activities that give due consideration to local specifics such as thecommunity's cultural, social and/or economic environment. In the end, it cancontribute to the improvement of the overall quality and relevance of basiceducation in the community concerned. The local relevance of NFE provisionsmay also induce a more community-centered development as a result of theactive participation of community members in NFE activities.

JICA will continue to support literacy programmes for youth and adults as aneffective way to ensure basic education for those who did not have the chanceto receive or complete formal education. Approaches and methodologies inthese programmes will differ widely depending on the particular environmentand context in which the learners live, such as urban-rural differences, gender,age, literacy level and other characteristics at the time of intervention. For example,support to national literacy campaigns would be effective in countries with aserious illiteracy problem, whereas in countries where basic literacy has beenattained, support could be provided to functional literacy programmes that enablethe learner to become an active member of society. There is also the need to

5. United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF): a UN-system wide 5-year development cooperation strategy in the hostcountry. The main purpose of UNDAF was to enhance the coordination and increase the impact of the assistance work by the resident UNagencies in the light of national development priorities and goals, as well as MDGs. UNDAF is prepared jointly by the UN agencies andthe national government and coordinated by UNDP.

6. Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP): a comprehensive strategy paper for the countrys poverty reduction. PRSP is prepared by thenational government, with the support of the World Bank.

7. Life skills is difined here as including literacy, numeracy, decision-making, problem solving, critical thinking, effective communication,simple vocational training, environmental education, health care and hygiene education and infectious disease prevention measures (suchas HIV/AIDS) which are considered to be knowledge and skills that are prerequisities for the social life of an individual (p. 51, Approachesfor Systematic Planning of Basic Education, JICA, 2002).

Justification

JICAs strategies


support literacy and basic education or distanceeducation programmes that are specificallytargeted and tailored to the needs of certaingroups of learners, such as those who have neverbeen to school, dropouts, women, street childrenor migrants and their children. Support could alsobe given to establishing an equivalencyprogramme to formal education as part of overallNFE support.

Literacy programmes targeting youth and adultsshould also integrate life skills training into theoverall curriculum as much as possible in orderto render education and training more practicaland relevant to their daily l ives. Practicalknowledge and skills for adults not only willenhance the educational effect of the programme,

but can also contribute to increasing the understanding and interests of thecommunity towards education, which as a result may encourage an increasedparticipation of their children in school.

In order to reach out to those children who remain outside the school system,special attention and efforts will be required as their needs cannot be met by themere expansion of formal education. Given the various obstacles they may befacing in attending school, education will need to be brought to their doorstepsinstead. Such an education would have a flexible curriculum and school hoursthat take into account the children's lifestyle and daily routine. Programmes thatallow children to continue their education while also fulfilling their domestic choresand/or economic responsibilities would be essential. To this end, creative andflexible approaches are called for to develop tailor-made NFE programmes forthese unreached children.

JICA will encourage the promotion and establishment of NFE programmes ofequivalent quality to formal schooling as a complementary system, in order tomeet the educational needs of those children who are unable to enroll in formalschools. JICA is aware that it is not an easy task to provide assistance andextend cooperation, as possible approaches and strategies will differ amongcountries depending upon their level of educational development and the needsof the unreached population. For example, strategies for countries with relativelystable enrolment rates and those with extremely low enrolment rates will obviouslydiffer. Table 1 summarizes some possible strategies that JICA may consider inplanning its cooperation according to the country's enrolment status.

Flexible approaches


b) Reducing Social Gaps

There are various social and historical reasons for the lack of education amongdisadvantaged populations, which also often explains the existing social gapsand disparities in a country. NFE can contribute to reducing or correcting suchgaps and disparities by empowering disadvantaged populations and opening

up possibilities and potentials for their proactiveengagement in their country's development process.For example, literacy and skills training programmestargeting women -- who account for two-thirds of theworld's illiterate population -- will not only provide themwith basic education, but also increase their self-esteemand confidence, enable them to make their owndecisions, and encourage them to participate activelyin economic, social and political activities.

In areas facing numerous development problems (e.g.,urban slums, remote rural areas), NFE activitiesorganized for people living there can have multiplesignificance. On the one hand, NFE will ensure the basicopportunity for education in these areas as afundamental human right; on the other hand, by

providing vocational skills training and income-generating activities, NFE cangenerate and increase income and improve the living conditions of the poor.Through extending education in the practices of democracy, NFE can contributeto fostering a democratic and peaceful society and enable people's activeparticipation in the democratic learning process. In the end, NFE can be an

Areas where there is a physicallack of formal schools

Areas with a system to transformcommunity-run schools into formalschools recognized by the govern-ment and/or local authorities

Target Group

Create an environment that enableschildren to enroll in school.

Introduce flexible school manage-ment and teaching methodology,e.g. provision of intensive lessonsduring the off-season, or organi-zation of classes at odd hours tofacilitate housework.

Establish second chance schools,and introduce innovative teachingmethodology for over-aged children.

Support the construction ofschools in close cooperationwith the community and localNGOs, and promote the estab-lishment of school managementcommittees to activate the schools.

Develop curriculum, syl labusand teaching methodology forequivalency programmes.

Improve teaching quality.

Support governments to under-take policy reform for the insti-tutionalization of equivalencyprogrammes.

TTTTTable 1. Strategies for NFE as a complement to school educationable 1. Strategies for NFE as a complement to school educationable 1. Strategies for NFE as a complement to school educationable 1. Strategies for NFE as a complement to school educationable 1. Strategies for NFE as a complement to school education

NER/ GER NER/ GER NER/ GER NER/ GER NER/ GER High Low High Low High Low High Low High Low

The "unreached," consisting of:

School-aged children who cannotattend formal schools

Children with special needs

Over-aged children who are notenrolled

Strategy


effective measure for preventing the outbreak of possible social instability causedby existing social and economic disparities.

Disadvantaged populations -- either owing to their gender, ethnic origin, socialclass or disability -- are basically those who have been excluded from themainstream of society, hence have particular needs that may be very differentfrom those of the mainstream population. JICA will first study and analyze thefundamental needs of disadvantaged populations as a group in order to determinethe best type of NFE support in the concerned country. For example, where themajor problem lies in the lack of employment opportunities for illiterate adults, acomprehensive programme for youth and adults combining literacy educationand income-generating activities could be initiated. In order to meet the needsof street children or school dropouts, JICA will support programmes in basic lifeskills and vocational skills training for out-of-school children and youth so that atleast some skills will enable them to earn a living.

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