Financing Adult Learning and Education - The Way Forward: What Works, How and Why?

Financing adult education is one of the most significant challenges and the greatest engine of adult education system's development, which makes this topic quite controversial not only in the local but also in the broader, global context.

According to the widely prevalent attitude, adult education is the so-called „shared responsibility“ of various institutions and organisations and resources of financial support to the implementation of ALE programs should be manifold and sustainable. However, little is known of which sources and schemes have proven to be successful and in which contexts, what are the factors and progress determinants in implementation of different financing models and what are the recommendations, the dos and don'ts in various funding models and schemes.

To answer these questions, DVV International and International Council for Adult Education ICAE conducted a study entitled „Financing adult learning and education – The way forward: what works, how and why?“

The study examines the main paradigms in understanding adult learning and education and funding models emerging from these paradigms. It explains why financing adult learning and education is an important problem and what are the benefits of sustainable financing. In addition, the study presents six good practice examples from six different regions/countries, including Ethiopia, Canada, Latin America, Germany, New Zealand and Serbia, which enables the readers of the study to identify functional elements and create adequate new models.

The results are intended to be used by all relevant institutions in the field of adult learning and education, particularly decision and policymakers, as a guide for further improvements and system development.

Read the study HERE.