Global Perspectives on Recognising Non-formal and Informal Learning: Why Recognition Matters

237 Pages·2015·2.141 MB·English

by  Madhu Singh (auth.)

Technical and Vocational Education and Training:
Issues, Concerns and Prospects 21
Madhu Singh
Global Perspectives
on Recognising
Non-formal and
Informal Learning
Why Recognition Matters
Technical and VocationalEducation andTraining:
Issues, Concerns and Prospects
Volume 21
SeriesEditor-in-Chief
ProfessorRupertMaclean,CentreforLifelongResearchandDevelopment,theHongKongInstituteofEducation,
China.
AssociateEditors
ProfessorFelixRauner,TVETResearchGroup,UniversityofBremen,Germany
ProfessorKarenEvans,InstituteofEducation,UniversityofLondon,UnitedKingdom
EditorialAdvisoryBoard
ProfessorBobAdamson,TeamLeader,UNESCO-UNEVOCCentre,TheHongKongInstituteofEducation,China
DrDavidAtchoarena,DivisionforEducationStrategiesandCapacityBuilding,UNESCO,Paris,France
DrAndrásBenedek,MinistryofEmploymentandLabour,Budapest,Hungary
DrPaulBenteler,StahlwerkeBremen,Germany
ProfessorMichelCarton,NORRAGc/oGraduateInstituteofInternationalandDevelopmentStudies,Geneva,
Switzerland
DrChrisChinien,WorkforceDevelopmentConsulting,Montreal,Canada
DrClaudioDeMouraCastro,FaculadePitágoras,BeloHorizonte,Brazil
DrMichaelFrearson,SQWConsulting,Cambridge,UnitedKingdom
DrLaviniaGasperini,NaturalResourcesManagementandEnvironmentDepartment,FoodandAgriculture
Organization,Rome,Italy
DrPhilippGrollmann,FederalInstituteforVocationalEducationandTraining(BiBB),Bonn,Germany
ProfessorW.NortonGrubb,GraduateSchoolofEducation,UniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley,
UnitedStatesofAmerica
DrDennisR.Herschbach,FacultyofEducationPolicyandLeadership,UniversityofMaryland,CollegePark,
UnitedStatesofAmerica
DrOriolHoms,CentreforEuropeanInvestigationandResearchintheMediterraneanRegion,Barcelona,Spain
ProfessorMoo-SubKang,KoreaResearchInstituteforVocationalEducationandTraining,Seoul,RepublicofKorea
DrBonaventureW.Kerre,SchoolofEducation,MoiUniversity,Eldoret,Kenya
DrGünterKlein,GermanAerospaceCentre,Bonn,Germany
DrWilfriedKruse,SozialforschungsstelleDortmund,DortmundTechnicalUniversity,Germany
ProfessorJonLauglo,DepartmentofEducationalResearch,FacultyofEducation,UniversityofOslo,Norway
DrAlexanderLeibovich,InstituteforVocationalEducationandTrainingDevelopment,Moscow,RussianFederation
ProfessorRobertLerman,UrbanInstitute,Washington,UnitedStatesofAmerica
MsNaingYeeMar,UNESCO-UNEVOCInternationalCentreforTechnicalandVocationalEducationandTraining,
Bonn,Germany
ProfessorMuntherWassefMasri,NationalCentreforHumanResourcesDevelopment,Amman,Jordan
DrPhillipMcKenzie,AustralianCouncilforEducationalResearch,Melbourne,Australia
MargaritaPavlova,HongKongInstituteofEducation,NewTerritories,HongKong
DrTheoRaubsaet,CentreforWork,TrainingandSocialPolicy,Nijmegen,Netherlands
ProfessorBarrySheehan,MelbourneUniversity,Australia
DrMadhuSingh,UNESCOInstituteforLifelongLearning,Hamburg,Germany
DrJandhyalaTilak,NationalInstituteofEducationalPlanningandAdministration,NewDelhi,India
DrPedroDanielWeinberg,formerlyInter-AmericanCentreforKnowledgeDevelopmentinVocationalTraining
(ILO/CINTERFOR),Montevideo,Uruguay
ProfessorAdrianZiderman,Bar-llanUniversity,RamatGan,Israel
AimsandScope
The purpose of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training: Issues,
ConcernsandProspectsBookSeriesistomeettheneedsofthoseinterestedinan
in-depthanalysisofcurrentdevelopmentsconcerningvariousaspectsofeducation
fortheworldofworkwithparticularreferencetotechnicalandvocationaleducation
and training. The Series examines areas that are at the ‘cutting edge’ of the field
and are innovative in nature. It presents best and innovative practice, explores
controversialtopicsandusescasestudiesasexamples.
The audience includes policymakers, practitioners, administrators, planners,
researchers, teachers, teacher educators, students and colleagues in other fields
interested in learning about TVET, in both developed and developing countries,
countries in transition and countries in a post-conflict situation. The Series
complements the International Handbook of Technical and Vocational Education
and Training, with the elaboration of specific topics, themes and case studies in
greaterbreadthanddepththanispossibleintheHandbook.Topicscoveredinclude
trainingfortheinformaleconomyindevelopingcountries;educationofadolescents
andyouthforacademicandvocationalwork;financingeducationforwork;lifelong
learning in the workplace;women and girls in technical and vocationaleducation
andtraining;effectivelyharnessingICTsinsupportofTVET;planningofeducation
systems to promote education for the world of work; recognition, evaluation
and assessment; education and training of demobilized soldiers in post-conflict
situations;TVETresearch;andschooltoworktransition.
Moreinformationaboutthisseriesathttp://www.springer.com/series/6969
Madhu Singh
Global Perspectives on
Recognising Non-formal
and Informal Learning
Why Recognition Matters
MadhuSingh
UNESCOInstituteforLifelongLearning
Hamburg,Germany
ISSN1871-3041 ISSN2213-221X (electronic)
TechnicalandVocationalEducationandTraining:Issues,ConcernsandProspects
ISBN978-3-319-15277-6 ISBN978-3-319-15278-3 (eBook)
DOI10.1007/978-3-319-15278-3
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2015937732
SpringerChamHeidelbergNewYorkDordrechtLondon
© UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning 2015. The book is published with open access at
SpringerLink.com.
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Foreword
The United NationsEducational,Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO)
continues to play a central role in the international vision of developing and
extendinglifelonglearningacrosstheglobe.Since1972andthereleaseofthepath-
breakingLearningtoBereportbyUNESCO,theOrganizationhasprovideddetailed
andtimelyresearchintolifelonglearningwithastrongfocusonpromotingequality
andmeaningfuldevelopmentaroundtheworld.
InUNESCO,theimportanceofrecognition,validationandaccreditationofnon-
formalandinformallearning(RVA)hasbeendiscussedsincetheUNESCOGeneral
Conferencein2005.1 Inthiscontext,theUNESCOInstituteforLifelongLearning
locatedinHamburg,Germany,conductedanalysesofnationalpoliciesandpractice
ofRVAdrawingondatafromMemberStates.Morerecently,theBelémFramework
for Action highlighted UNESCO’s role by developing guidelines on all learning
outcomes including those acquired through non-formal and informal learning so
thatthesemayberecognisedandvalidated.Atthesametime,itcalledonmember
states to develop or improvestructures and mechanisms for the recognition of all
formsoflearningbyestablishingequivalencyframeworks.
Launching from this broad research base, the publication presented here on
Globalperspectivesonrecognisingnon-formalandinformalLearning:Whyrecog-
nitionmattersprovidesathorough,wide-rangingandaccessibleanalysisofMember
States’ experiences with RVA. It approaches the recognition of lifelong learning
pathwaysbyinvestigatingcriticalfactorsconduciveforRVA’simplementation,its
strategic policy objectives, best practice features and the challenges and the ways
forward as reported by Member States and perhaps most importantly RVA’s role
inpromotingequalityandinclusivenessbothineducationandacrosssocietymore
generally.
Theoverallaimofthestudyistoadvanceabodyofknowledgethatallowsusto
shareexperience,expertiseandlessonsthatconcernin-countryRVApracticesacross
MemberStates.Itispresentedinsuchawaythatenablesitseffectiveandimmediate
133C/Resolution10ofthe33rdsessionoftheGeneralConference(2005).
v
vi Foreword
use across the full spectrum of country contexts whether in the developing or
developedworld.ItisourhopethatGlobalperspectivesonnon-formalandinformal
Learningwill promotea properunderstandingof the opportunitiesandchallenges
offered by RVA in differentcontexts to policy-makers,educators, researchers and
anyonewith aninterestinlifelonglearningandtherecognitionofnon-formaland
informallearning.Foreverycountrythatseekstoenableitscitizens,buildcapacity
and cultivate human capital, the understanding promoted in this study will be of
genuinesignificanceforthesharingofmutualbenefitacrossinternationalborders.
Director ArneCarlsen
UNESCOInstituteforLifelongLearning,Hamburg,Germany
April2015
Acknowledgements
This book represents a part of UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning’s work
on“Recognition,ValidationandAccreditationoftheOutcomesofNon-formaland
Informal Learning”. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge all the
colleagues at the Institute for their continued support throughout and for making
thispublicationpossible.
Aninternationalstudylikethisoneisalwaysamajorchallengeandreliesonthe
collaborationwithseveralindividualsandorganisations.Ihavehadtheprivilegeto
be able to draw on the long-standing working relationships with several of these
peopleandorganisationsthatIciteinthetext.Theyhavegreatlycontributedtothe
policy debate on recognising, validating and accrediting non-formaland informal
learning.Theirdataandtheircontinualcommitmentandinvolvementinnecessary
and responsible education reforms have greatly contributed to my understanding
ofthechallengesandopportunitiesthatwe faceinrelationtorecognisingexisting
talentandinrespecttoaccesstoeducationfordisadvantagedpeople.
Most of all, I would like to thank all the peer reviewers for their constructive
feedbackonthevariousdraftsandfortheirinvaluableexpertiseandguidance.
MygratefulthanksgoouttoMarcusBrainardforcopy-editingtheintroduction
and to Damian Harrisonfor copy-editingthe rest of the publication.I am grateful
to Stephen Roche, head of the publications unit at UIL, for overseeing the entire
publication. Finally, I am thankful to Marianne Wenger for helping with the
bibliographicreferences.
Hamburg,Germany MadhuSingh
April2015
vii

Springer Book Series Technical and Vocational
Education and Training: Issues, Concerns
and Prospects
Series Editors Introduction
Worldwide,countriesareexaminingwhatroleeducationandschoolingcanplayin
contributingtoamorejust,equitableandpeacefulworld,wherethereissustainable
economic and social development for all, and the end of poverty. In doing this
countriesrecognizeaneedtore-engineereducationforchange:thatis,ratherthan
just ‘tinkeringwith the existing system’, to examine the fundamental,often taken
for granted and unexamined values and practices upon which current education
and schooling systems are built, and to modify (or even rebuild) these from their
foundation upwards. Countries already know the range of education challenges
and stumbling blocks that need to be confronted to achieve the improvement of
education and schooling for change. These are well researched and documented.
Butdo countrieshavethe courageandcommitment,and politicalwill, to take the
necessaryaction?
These are amongst the matters addressed by Madhu Singh, a researcher at the
UNESCOInstituteforLifelongLearninginHamburg,inthisimportantbookwhich
examinesthe importanceof re-engineeringeducationfor changeby movingaway
from the limited notion of ‘education’ for all, to that of ‘learning’ for all, and
to placing an increasing emphasis on non-formal and informal learning, rather
than largely focusing on learning that occurs in the formal education system in
institutionssuchasschoolsandcolleges.
Singhsurveysglobalperspectivesontheimportanceofnon-formalandinformal
learning,andofgivinggreaterrecognitiontosuchformsoflearning,ratherthanjust
thatwhichoccursinformaleducationinstitutions,whichtraditionallytendstobethe
emphasisof researchers,policymakersandpractitioners.The reasonis thatmuch
of the most important learning that occurs for individuals and groups in societies
worldwide is not that which occurs in formal settings in schools or colleges, but
that which occurs through informal and non-formal means, from family, friends,
ix