UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning Bulletin, June 2021

Webinar: ‘Youth and adult literacy: Better data for more efficient policies’
On 28 June 2021, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) hosted a webinar on the assessment of youth and adult literacy and numeracy skills. The webinar, entitled ‘Youth and adult literacy: Better data for more efficient policies’, focused on the current situation of skills assessment globally. 

Case study: Parents as Literacy Supporters in Immigrant Communities
Parents as Literacy Supporters in Immigrant Communities (IPALS) is a Canadian culturally-responsive family literacy programme. Newcomer immigrant and refugee parents with young children, who commonly attend IPALS, tend to be isolated, with limited English language skills and little exposure to Canadian culture. 

Caribbean consultation on adult education challenges and opportunities held in preparation of CONFINTEA VII
Despite challenges, Caribbean countries have made improvements in adult learning and education participation and provision especially for women and people with special needs. That is one of the insights emerging from the Caribbean subregional consultation held on 28 April 2021 in preparation of the seventh International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VII). Participants identified key issues and priorities in the field of adult learning and education ahead of CONFINTEA VII in 2022.

Blog post: A year in the life: ALE, GRALE and the Futures of Education
Preparations are underway for CONFINTEA VII, in 2022. The fifth Global Report on Adult Learning and Education is being finalized for publication in late spring 2022. UNESCO’s Futures of Education commission will report at the end of 2021, and the midway point in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is fast approaching. This is a moment of potential change in adult education, which we need to grasp, argues Paul Stanistreet, in his UIL blog post.

Blog post: ‘The best of both worlds’: What the pandemic can teach us about inclusion
Emerging data from Ireland’s National Further Education and Training Learner Forum suggest that thanks to Irish state investment in addressing digital poverty, support needs and improved pedagogy, marginalized learners now want a future of blended learning, writes Niamh O’Reilly in her UIL blog post.

Bulgaria: National Strategy for Lifelong Learning for the period 2014–2020
Bulgaria’s National Strategy for Lifelong Learning, presented in the UIL lifelong learning policies database, offers a response to the emerging challenges the nation faces in terms of social inclusion and economic growth. It offers an approach to lifelong learning that encompasses all areas of learning and respective stakeholders. Lifelong learning is important for individuals and for meeting changing economic demands.

Hamburg, Germany: Making lifelong learning for sustainable development a reality for all
Inducted into the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities in 2019, Hamburg is an early adopter of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). In June 2021, the city's senate adopted the 'ESD Masterplan 2030' as another milestone of its engagement. Read our multimedia story to learn more about how young and old citizens of Hamburg can learn for our planet.

“Institutions of Sysert provide education in all different forms: full-time, distance learning, family education, and self-education. Work is underway to create conditions for inclusive learning.”

Dimitrii Niskovskikh
Mayor of the UNESCO learning city of Sysert, Russian Federation