Literacy challenge forum 2020 explores adult education from the perspective of continuous and lifelong learning

Dubai: Lifelong learning is now a necessity, asserted panellists on day one of the inaugural Literacy Challenge Forum, in a session that explored ‘Adult Education from the Perspective of Continuous and Lifelong Learning’.

The Forum is organised by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF), under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, and with directives from MBRF Chairman H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. It is set to be held on February 24-25, 2020, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Moderated by Dr Lana Mamkegh, Former Jordanian Minister of Culture, the session brought together Dr Sami Nassar, Professor of Education at Cairo University’s School of Graduate Studies of Education; Dr Najoua Fezzaa Ghriss, Professor of Higher Institute of Education and Continuous Training at the University of Tunis; Dr Latifa Al Falasi, Arabic Language Expert at the UAE Ministry of Education; and Dr Amal Al Habdan, Consultant at King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre.

The topics of discussion ranged from showcasing continuous learning models from the Arab world, and modern methods for evaluating adult education programmes, to the UAE’s success story in eradicating illiteracy, and education during emergencies and asylum situations.

Dr Sami Nassar outlined challenges facing adult education around the world, citing the lack of education programmes directed at different age groups, as well as globalisation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which created a need for new forms of education and a focus on the four Cs: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.

Dr Nassar also explored the main challenges facing adult education in the Arab world, most notably the growing population, which is set to reach nearly 468 million people by 2025. Other challenges included the new economy – driven by the knowledge economy, new and emerging professions, and jobs going obsolete – in addition to political conflicts and the refugee crisis, where 45 million people were affected by conflicts across the Arab region and 13 million youths and children were forced out of school.

For her part, Dr Najoua Ghriss explained that any evaluation of an adult education programme must be conducted against the strategic objectives stated at the beginning. “Adult learning programmes set grand strategic objectives, but the evaluation at the end is generally limited to whether the participants learned to read and write.”

“We cannot evaluate adult learning with the same criteria we use for schoolchildren,” Dr Ghriss added. “These programmes should be preparing individuals for life, empowering them to become effective members of the community. Reading and writing are not the objectives but instruments for learning, therefore our evaluation needs to take into consideration the persistence of these skills, seeing as some graduates end up lapsing back into illiteracy.”

Dr Ghriss concluded by citing a new UNESCO study where several African countries, including Tunisia and Morocco, are taking part. The study is developing instruments that measure more than reading and writing, but also academic abilities.

“Every time a new discipline or scientific field is born, in parallel, more illiteracy is created, because illiteracy means more than just a lack of reading and writing skills,” said Dr Latifa Al Falasi, citing flexibility as a prominent quality that adult learning systems must include. “Academic systems in the UAE are flexible and seek to offer students education that meets their needs. This includes flexibility in schedules, remote education options, the earned credit system, and diverse education pathways.”

Dr Amal Al Habdan began her portion of the session by asserting that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia firmly believes that the future of countries plagued by conflict and disasters lies in education. “Education in cases of emergencies is indispensable for overcoming difficulties and achieving stability, progress, and prosperity,” Dr Al Habdan said, showcasing the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre’s strategy, which revolves around three pillars, beginning with strategic partnerships to achieve the 17^th sustainable development goal (SDG) to strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise global partnerships for sustainable development. The second pillar is a firm belief in the concept of ‘knowledge is a universal right’, while the third and final one is developing and supporting innovative initiatives to encourage education in conflict zones and implement SDG 4 to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

The Literacy Challenge Forum explores illiteracy in Arab society along many pillars including: ‘current state of illiteracy, adult learning, and education in the Arab world’, ‘lifelong learning – a contemporary vision’, ‘success stories in the Arab world’, and ‘showcasing experiences of leaders in combatting illiteracy’. The event features workshops on regional and international studies on illiteracy, highlighting accomplishments of governments, organisations and individuals working to eradicate illiteracy, modernise the education system, and develop projects to promote literacy around the world.

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© Press Release 2020