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Introduction
The
Working Group on Non-formal Education of ADEA, the
Association for the Development of Education in Africa,
has been in existence since 1996. During that period the
Group, bringing together Ministers of Education,
International Agencies and Civil Society organisations,
has served as a major platform for networking, sharing
information and capacity building in the field of
non-formal education. Its aim has been to assist countries
to improve policies and practices with regard to
non-formal education within the context of Education for
All.
The Working Group (WG) is keen to conduct an Electronic
Discussion Forum in order to promote a wider international
consensus on the significance of NFE for basic education
and development, and on the priorities that should guide
the WG’s work in this area. It is hoped that the
recognition of diversity of beneficiary groups and their
needs, and of approaches and purposes of NFE could be
balanced with the further elaboration of a holistic view
of basic education and development for children, youth and
adults, and of closer collaboration among the great
variety of organisations working with NFE. Equally, there
is a concern that the WG should have a mandate that
enables it to both respond to the needs and priorities
expressed by countries, and to provide effective guidance
through the sharing of its extensive knowledge and
experience base. There is a particular concern for seeking
a clearer vision as to what should drive the strategic
work and selected activities of the WG.
The objectives for the Forum are:
(a) To provide opportunity for a wide variety of persons
and organisations, involved professionally with NFE,
particularly those in Africa, to voice their views,
concerns and hopes regarding non-formal education, and to
comment on the work of the Working Group for Non-formal
Education.
(b) To identify the range and diversity of current
perspectives on NFE, regarding its nature, purposes,
characteristics, expectations, problems and issues,
especially within the wider context of EFA.
(c) To establish the extent of common understanding,
across different actor groups, of the nature, issues and
needs concerning NFE, of its significance in society, and
its future direction in relation to basic education in
general.
(d) To identify key roles and priorities, as well as
preferred modalities to be adopted by the WG for its
support to stakeholder organisations and contribution to
basic educational development in Africa.
(e) To provide an opportunity for building up an archive
of good practices, interesting experiences, and relevant
information about other initiatives – in relation to NFE’s
contribution to good quality basic education for all.
It is intended that the Forum will go live by the middle
of October and will run through four phases until its
closure in the early part of 2005.
The phases will deal respectively with the nature and
characteristics of current forms of NFE; their social,
economic and cultural contexts; the preferred direction
for the further development of NFE within the context of
basic education; and the roles and mandate for the WG to
facilitate such development across Africa.
As Working Group we are hoping to mobilise a wide variety
of people for this joint reflection on the state and
future of these forms of education: decision-makers,
scholars, practitioners in civil society and professional
organisations, staff of international agencies,
consultants and media personnel.
For this purpose we want the Forum to be as accessible as
possible. Thus, while we are setting up a special
ADEA-related workspace on the Internet, we also want to
initiate a parallel List serve to enable people to use
e-mail. Even fax communication will be possible. We shall
also encourage group contributions. Communication can be
in English, French and Portuguese.
The Forum will be moderated by Wim Hoppers, a member of
the Working Group. Participants will receive a small set
of initial questions at the beginning of each phase, and
contributions will be summarised from time to time and
translated to enable wider dialogue to take place. The
final report of the Forum will be supplemented by sets of
recommendations for action, not only directed at the
Working Group but also at other stakeholder groups that
participate.
Prior to the launch of the Forum this we hope that the
information about this Forum will be circulated as widely
as possible. If you are involved in a network or have
partner organisations that may have an interest in this,
we kindly request you to pass on this information.
Registration and participation
If you and/or your organisation are interested to register
for the Forum, please send the following information to
the moderator:
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Your
full names
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Your
organisation
-
Designation and location
-
E-mail address
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Your
relationship to the Working Group on Non-Formal Education
-
Indication whether you like to access the web site, use
e-mail only, or use fax.
Please send this to
phoenixcenter@telia.com (moderator) or
nfe@commonwealth.int. All those who register will
receive information when the Forum will be launched,
communication details, and guidelines for participation.
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