BRIDGES TO CO-OPERATIVE ADULT LEARNING IN EUROPE 4 TH. EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON GRUNDTVIG 2 LEARNING PARTNERSHIPS Hull (UK), 6-9 October 2005

Grundtvig – Past achievements, future perspectives, and the challenge of adult learner mobility Alan Smith DG Education & Culture, European Commission Deputy Head of Unit B3 – Comenius-Grundtvig

Overview Stock-taking : what has Grundtvig achieved so far? Contextualising : how does Grundtvig fit into the larger picture of EU educational policy and programme initiatives ? Crystal ball-gazing : what lies ahead for Grundtvig post- 2006? Filling the vacuum : some questions for discussion in the « open spaces » (or coffee breaks) during the Hull conference…

Grundtvig 2005 European cooperation projects (Grundtvig 1) Learning partnerships (Grundtvig 2) Mobility for further training of adult education staff (Grundtvig 3) Networks (Grundtvig 4) 2005: 30mio, 400 LPs, 71 projects, 10 networks, around 2500 participating organisations Europe-wide

Grundtvig Grundtvig 1-Projects with 2500 partners Around 800 G2 Learning partnerships (5800 partner grants) 4500 training grants under Grundtvig 3 29 grants to Grundtvig 4-Networks Preparatory visits and thematic seminars Many conferences etc. under the Accompanying measures Smoothly functioning network of National Agencies

Learning partnerships Around 800 G2 Learning partnerships (5800 partner grants) 50 mio Largest of the Grundtvig sub-actions for first time 2005 Continuing large growth in demand ( %, %) Approval rate % (Grundtvig 1: 16%) Typical activities: conferences and seminars, publications, fieldwork, staff and learner exchange, exhibitions and performances, development of new pedagogical tools Strong social cohesion agenda (> 70% address socially disadvantaged groups, disability or gender equality) Thematic strengths in active citizenship (13%), intercultural learning (11%), basic skills (9%), ICT (8%), European issues (8%), new pedagogy (7%), arts (7%), languages (6%)

Grundtvig impacts External evaluation Increasing quality through sharing of experience Beginnings of impact at system / policy level Enhancing training of adult educators Assisting in EU enlargement European dimension of adult education organisations European networks of adult educators

Obstacles Diversity of the field (nationally, internationally) Weak institutional infrastructure Precarious employment profile Personal Lack of tradition of European cooperation Inadequate funding

EU Lifelong learning policy initiatives Amsterdam Treaty (1997) and « Lisbon » (2000) Memorandum on Lifelong Learning (2000) Communication « Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality » (2001) Resolution of the Council (2002) LLL in the Joint Employment Strategy Education and training as a dimension of other policy fields Work programme on common objectives Underpinned by indicators and benchmarking

EU Policy response to the challenge of LLL: « Education & Training 2010 » Phase I – Working groups involving all Member States A – Teacher and trainer education B – Basic skills, language teaching, entrepreneurship C – ICT in education and training D – Increasing participation in maths and science E – Resources: investing in education and training F – Mobility and European cooperation G – Open learning environment, active citizenship, social inclusion H – Making learning attractive, strengthening links with working life and society Phase II – Thematic clustering, including adult learning, on an opting in basis

Lifelong learning : key issues emerging from EU debate Putting the learner at the centre: Valuing learning Information, guidance and counselling Bringing together learners and learning opportunities Still a need for focus on basic skills Innovative pedagogy Investing time and money in learning

EU Programme response to challenge of LLL Socrates Leonardo da Vinci Youth Ad hoc initiatives – E-Learning – European Years (against racism 1996; lifelong learning 1997; languages 2001; education through sport 2004; inter-cultural dialogue 2008?) – R3L ( )

Grundtvig: looking forward… – Executive Agency for the centralised actions from 2005 – Towards new programme generation : enhanced importance for adult education: « Grundtvig » a full sectoral programme for general adult education alongside those for schools, higher education and vocational training

Grundtvig: looking forward… Adult education in Europe: between the rhetoric and hype of LLL policy discourse … … and the reality of budgetary curtailment and penury – Need to redefine / re-position – Relationship between general and vocational – Move to a more learner-centred approach – Need for innovative pedagogy – Need to enhance the professional profile of adult educators – Need for private investment in adult education – Yet need to retain strong sense of public commitment – Need for greater cooperation between all players

The new generation of education and training programmes The Commission Proposal Integrated programme for LLL – structure Integrated Programme Comenius School education Erasmus Higher education & advanced training Leonardo da Vinci Initial and continuing VET Grundtvig Adult education Transversal programme 4 key activities – Policy development; Language learning; ICT; Dissemination Jean Monnet programme 3 key activities – Jean Monnet Action; European Institutions; European Associations

History: adult education in the EU education programmes Increasing importance, reflecting the growing emphasis on LLL throughout Europe: Pre-1995:Non-existent :Sub-Action within Chapter 3 of Socrates I (<3% of total Socrates budget) :Full Action within Socrates II (>7% of total Socrates budget) :Full Sectoral programme within Integrated Programme for Lifelong Learning (>3% of total Integrated Programme budget = ?)

Grundtvig: Objectives General: to promote in the sector of adult education, within the overall integrated programme: Quality, innovation & the European dimension Accessibility and attractiveness of learning Personal fulfilment, social cohesion, active citizenship, gender equality, particip.of learners with special needs Creativity & employability Increasing learning participation at all ages Language learning & linguistic diversity European citizenship, intercultural tolerance Quality assurance Dissemination & exchange of good practice

Specific overall objectives of Grundtvig: Respond to educational challenge of ageing population Alternative pathways to knowledge and competence Operational objectives of Grundtvig: Increase mobility of staff and learners (2013: 25,000) Increase volume and quality of European cooperation between adult education organisations Facilitate development and transfer of innovation Promote alternative learning access routes for socially disadvantaged and reluctant learners Improve pedagogical approaches and management

Programme design: Continuity + Innovation Continuity Individual training grants for adult education staff Learning Partnerships Multilateral cooperation projects Thematic Networks Accompanying measures Innovation ( external evaluation) (mostly from 2009) Individual mobility of adult learners European assistantships for young adult educators Teaching visits and exchanges for adult education staff Large-scale innovation projects European events within Learning Partnerships Decentralisation: 60%+ for mobility & partnerships

Grundtvig: Features Simplification Proportionality Integration of education and training Increased imp. of LLL increased budget?

Grundtvig Actions - I Mobility (decentralised) Adult education staff o Participation in further training courses o Study visits and job-shadowing o Teaching visits o European assistantships in adult education ? Adult learners o European study circles ? - residential seminars - focusing on topics of common interest - priority: European themes &/or disadvantaged o European adult volunteers scheme ? Individual ? Via Learning partnerships?

Grundtvig Actions - II Grundtvig Learning Partnerships (decentralised) Basic activities Exchanges o Staff visits and exchanges o Learner visits and exchanges European events

Grundtvig Actions - III Multilateral Cooperation Projects (centralised) Cooperation projects (existing Grundtvig 1) o Smaller scale o Adaptation, transfer, dissemination, sharing experience and good practice o Bottom-up o Larger numbers Innovation projects (new) o Larger-scale (systemic impact) o Europe-wide o Top-down o Limited in number

Grundtvig Actions - IV Networks (centralised) o All participating countries o Forum, needs analysis o Dissemination, clustering Accompanying measures (centralised) o Varying in scale, mostly small o Activities ineligible under main action lines o Mostly one-off and annual o Conferences and seminars, prizes and awards, publications, small-scale surveys, awareness-raising campaigns etc.

Previous G2 European Conferences Aarhus (DK) 2002 G2 a welcome and potentially effective new instrument for adult education cooperation in Europe Impacts, success factors, obstacles, administrative rules Rimini (IT) 2003 Need for greater involvement of learners in LPs (planning, transnational liaison, activities, evaluation, dissemination, contacts with local community) Impacts of LPs on learners: increased motivation, improved ICT skills, better communicative competence, enhanced awareness of importance of lifelong learning, stronger commitment to active citizenship

Previous G2 European Conferences Noordwijk (NL) 2004 Focus on concept of quality and quality assurance of cooperation process Dissemination methods Tips for new coordinators: Idea to develop the Grundtvig Navigator Initial discussion on future programme (stress on need for stronger learner involvement) Recommendation for 4 th. European conference to focus on learners

Expectations of Hull Conference Exchange of experience and ideas Reality check by adult learners on LPs: what works and does not work, how to improve the LP concept further? Feedback from participants on what LPs can contribute in terms of improving adult learning in their respective thematic areas Advice on the future Gruntvig programme, and in particular on how to promote more and better adult learner mobility Making new contacts, forging new partnerships with other participants in the conference Indirectly, using the conference as means of stimulating involvement in Grundtvig 3, especially non-formal types of training (encouraging participants organisations to send and receive grant recipients)

Learner Mobility: 7 key questions for discussion at the conference 1.Does it make sense to promote more mobility and exchanges for adult learners at all, or should we continue to concentrate more on the adult education providers? 2.If you were designing a programme for adult learner mobility, what would it look like? 3.Grundtvig tries to focus on disadvantaged groups in society. How can this be achieved in a mobility action for adult learners? 4.Another focal point for the future programme are older learners. What sorts of mobility activities could we envisage for this target group?

5.What do you think about the ideas for adult learner mobility which have been floated by the Commission: European study circles ? (residential seminars focusing on topics of common interest) European adult volunteers scheme? (does this fit in Grundtvig? If so, should it be limited to education ?) 6.Should adult learner mobility activities be organised within G2 Learning partnerships or in some other way? 7.How could the future Grundtvig programme best help to improve citizens knowledge of the EU as such and their awareness of how Europe impacts on their lives?