Page 14 - Tvisobrivi kvleva__GEORGIA - English

I. Concept and terminology – understanding and

perception of the concept of AE

International and EU definitions of ALE, lifelong
learning and adult learners

Education is frequently associated with formal LLL and ALE opportunities, summarise the aims
education only, that is education delivered by of ALE, explain different modalities, and present
pre-school, primary, secondary, vocational and the different learning contexts.

higher education institutions to children, ado-
lescents and young adults. International human
rights law has however repeatedly stressed that The relationship between lifelong
the main principle of education is universality, learning and adult education and
according the right to education to everybody, learning is established by the vision that,
regardless of age. The continuous aspect of within the universe of lifelong learning,
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education and learning, which is rooted in the ALE covers all forms of education and
principle of universality in education, is aggre- learning that “aim to ensure that all
gated in the concept of “lifelong learning” (LLL). adults participate in their societies and

According to the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong the world of work” . Thus, ALE is a core
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Learning (UIL), one of the most important inter- component of LLL, and, when viewed
national actors in the field, lifelong learning is in in relation to the period in life covered,
essence “founded in the integration of learning presumably the most substantial and
and living covering learning activities for people long-term form of education. ALE
of all ages (children, young people, adults and commonly addresses a particular group
elderly, whether girls or boys, women or men), in of learners, namely adult learners.

all life-wide contexts (family, school, community,
workplace and so on) and through a variety of
modalities (formal, non-formal and informal) that In general, an adult learner can be considered a
together meet a wide range of learning needs “person who systematically attends some form of
and demands” . The following paragraphs out- adult education, belongs to a chronological pe-
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line the relationship between the concepts life- riod following adolescence, and voluntarily opts
long learning and adult education and learning to partake of the learning and teaching process.
(ALE), introduce major international actors and Adulthood is characterised by different types of
initiatives to enhance access to and provision of maturity, from biological to emotional and psy-

1 Right to Education Initiative (2018). Adult education and learning website
2 UNESCO UIL (2014). Literacy & Basic Skills as a Foundation for Lifelong Learning
3 UNESCO UIL (2015). Recommendation on Adult Learning and Education, p. 6

12 German Adult Education Association │ DVV International