Rethinking Literacy
Dear participants,
Hereby, find the link to the Second Report done by the Unesco Institute for the Lifelong Learning about Literacy in 2013.
Please check the Table of Contents:
Chapter 1.-LITERACY AS A FOUNDATION FOR ADULT LEARNING AND EDUCATION
Chapter 2.-PROMOTING ADULT EDUCATION POLICY WITHIN A LIFELONG LEARNING PERSPECTIVE
Chapter 3.-PUTTING GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES IN PLACE
Chapter 4.-FINANCING ADULT LEARNING AND EDUCATION
Chapter 5.-EXPANDING PARTICIPATION AND PROVISION IN ADULT EDUCATION
Chapter 6.-ENSURING QUALITY IN ADULT EDUCATION
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002224/222407E.pdf
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002224/222407E.pdf
Hope you enjoy this interesting Report, waiting for your comments!
Other useful information for preparation for the workshop:
Hello all Blog members and participants on the Workshop Movers and Shakers for Literacy. I’m Júlia from Portugal, I look forward to participate in the workshop and meet you all in the beautiful Madrid!
ResponderEliminarYou’ve challenged us to talk about literacy situation in our countries, I’ve tried to put up some words regarding my experience and from the information I’ve achieve regarding the Portuguese reality, or at least some part of it.
It’s difficult to show clearly the Portuguese situation on Adult Education (AE), because even being a small country we have many different practices and experiences from associations, NGO and other organization that create informal, non-formal, but also formal learning situations. Some of them are really “equate adult education with literacy” (Report Rethinking Literacy), but the main AE practices, specially from the national education system “links the literacy with technical and vocational education and training” (Report Rethinking Literacy). This last practices are fundamental even not totally anchored in the main purpose of literacy but they were being cut back since 2012. The Portuguese government decided to shut down the “New Opportunities Program” and since 2012 that some Centers responsible for the operationalization of the program are being closed and at April 2013 the remain ones were also closed. (I was working in one of these Centers).
This program (needed reviews and some changes but not shutting down) was responsible for some AE measures that will go one (with few changes but discussible ones) in new named structures that are not operating yet. This measures regarded the achievement and/or validation of key competences/basic skills/core skills on reading, writing main language, foreigner language (written and spoken communication), nummeracy, use ICT’s, citizenship and empowerment, but also other specific skills.
On this group of measures:
· the Competences, recognition, validation and certification processes RVCC (similar to the Vocational, Education and Training - VET program in some other countries), from Jan 2006 till Dec 2010, contributed for 410 346 adult certifications (on basic level – 4th, 6th or 9th and secondary level of qualification);
· the Adult formation and education courses were also very important and in the same period of time contribute for 86 701 certifications. (data from New Opportunities Initiative Report 2006 – 2010).
The RVCC process allowed to upraise self-esteem and make adults more consciousness/awareness of their part in the society and empowered them social and professionally. These adults are aged from 18th years old on (minimum age allowed for the basic levels) and 23 years old on (minimum age allowed for the secondary level) they were challenged to recognize and value their life experiences, reflecting and writing them down on a portfolio. Experiences that they consider to describe the basic skills learning process, that allow the pedagogical teams to validate them and to recognize lacks/needs of literacy and development of basic skills. When identified some adults with needs, in order to be able to access to the complete certification, they were oriented to training programs, long or short term, regarding their evaluation.
This measures and other AE practices have been very important for the decrease of the numbers of the illiteracy rate (people who don’t understand the alphabet and can’t write or read at all) that in 27/05/2013 was 5,2% (men 3,5% - women 6,8%) comparing with the total of 9% rate that was measured in 2001 (men 6,3% - women 11,5%), while the Competences, recognition, validation and certification processes and Adult formation and education courses were giving their first steps.
In time being we are living a moment of void, few are the initiatives taking place on AE in Portugal and many are the professional technicians that were kick and now are facing hard time to continue the challenged they believe and were prepared over the last 13 years at least.
Sorry if my sharing is too long! Thank for your attention. See you soon!
Este comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.
ResponderEliminarThank you Julia for your contribution! :)
ResponderEliminarVery interesting! It is such a pity the financial crises are felt most in sectors where financial support is needed most...
ResponderEliminarI am very curious about your experience in empowering people by raising their self esteem. I also like the idea of letting students write about their life experiences in order to evaluate their literacy skills. There are so many extra benefits. Are students opening up to you in these reports? Do they experience as a form of therapy?
Best regards!
Hello Tom. in fact the life histories methodology connected to the basic skills understanding is great. we don't need them to expose all of their lives in can't be a terapy, we can listen, but then help them to identify what in their lives is important to show they know, they operate, they mobilize the competencies in action. The connection between the technic and the adult is realy stronger then other any education situations I've experienced.
ResponderEliminar