UNESCO’s Global Reports on Adult Learning and Education

Abstract

Since 2009, UNESCO has published Global Reports on Adult Learning and Education (GRALEs), integrating an analysis of member-states' reported national data, policies and best practices. These reports focus on five action areas adopted in the Belém Framework for Action (policy, governance, financing, participation and quality), constructing adult learning and education as a policy object on a global level and strengthening UNESCO’s role in the field of adult learning and education policy, particularly in terms of conceptualisation and in setting political priorities. Using the policy analysis framework by Lima and Guimarães (2011), this paper analyses the conceptual elements and political priorities of the four GRALEs and the latest national reports of Nigeria, Russia and Slovenia. Main findings indicate a discrepancy between conceptual elements and political priorities at both global and national levels, where GRALEs are observed to be closer to the democratic-emancipatory approach and national reports to the modernisation and state control approach.

Keywords

• adult learning and education policy
• conceptual elements
• political priorities
• GRALE
• UNESCO