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Electronic
Discussion Forum - Issues and sessions
Electronic Discussion Forum
on
Challenging Non-Formal Education in Africa: Where do We Go
from Here; What Role for an ADEA Working Group?
Key Issues and Questions for the Forum
The Forum will consist of four Sessions, each of which is
to be devoted to a particular theme related to NFE and
Basic Education. While the Forum as a whole will be guided
by one overall question, the session themes will be guided
by several key issues being raised together with several
possible questions which the Forum participants may
consider.
Please NOTE that the issues and questions under each theme
are intended to be only exemplary, so as to encourage
reflection. We do not request you to answer all the
questions. They should in no way prevent you from raising
related issues and questions that you find more important.
Overall question for the Forum.
What visions are driving actions around NFE in Africa, and
how can we re-examine these so that we have meaningful
reference points for new approaches and new strategies in
basic education?
Issues and questions for the individual sessions
SESSION 1 – On current trends, characteristics and
purposes of NFE
Issue 1:
The nature and characteristics of NFE in Africa.
(Is there such thing like ‘non-formal education’? How does
it relate to the rest of education? What are the core
characteristics of NFE? What is positive, what is
problematic? What would you regard as a ‘typical’ NFE
initiative?)
Issue 2:
The contribution of NFE to basic education in general.
(Has NFE made a contribution to improving quality or
relevance? What are the merits and de-merits of NFE? Has
it led to enrichment or to fragmentation of initial
education? What has been its significant value for
children, youth or adults?)
Issue 3:
NFE as a substitute or alternative to initial formal
education for children, youth and/or adults.
(What have been the roles or functions of NFE? What
motivations, visions have inspired its development? What
lessons need to be drawn from this? Is it important that
NFE is essentially different from formal education?)
SESSION 2 – On the educational, socio-cultural and
economic context of NFE
Issue 4:
The existence of two types of organised learning or
education: formal education and non-formal education.
(Why do we have this division? Is the existence of two
‘sub-systems’ important? In hindsight, has this been a
positive or a negative thing? Are there two types or many
types? What has been the importance of NFE in Africa from
a social, cultural and/or economic perspective?)
Issue 5:
The impact of NFE on people’s lives.
(How has NFE responded to people’s needs and interests?
Has NFE helped learners to have equal chances to succeed
in life? Are people’s expectations being met? What have
been important factors in making NFE programmes succeed or
fail?)
Issue 6:
Present interest in NFE in government, civil society,
research organisations, international agencies, etc.
(Is the interest in NFE in Africa very low, or do you feel
it is changing? Why is this so? What are the current
motivations for African governments or different
organisations to be interested in NFE programmes and
policies? Have there been shifts in civil society’s
involvement with NFE?)
SESSION 3 – On the preferred direction in which NFE should
develop
Issue 7:
Changing social and economic conditions in Africa and
their relevance for basic education.
(In what ways do present social and economic conditions
make people think differently about education? Are there
different expectations? Are there ways in which NFE or
basic education in general is meeting new demands?
You can focus on any category – children, youth or adults
– depending on your interest and experience).
Issue 8:
Educational reform in Africa and changing relationships
between non-formal and formal education.
(Should NFE itself be reformed and what would this mean?
Is there a need to change the way non-formal and formal
education are linked to each other? Should NFE be inside
or outside the education ‘system’? Are there risks in
‘mainstreaming’ NFE? Is the notion of ‘non-formal
education’ still valid or should we be thinking in very
different ways? How can basic education be better
organised to meet diverse needs of learners?)
Issue 9:
Roles and responsibilities of different parties involved
in basic education.
(If NFE and/or basic education is to change what would
this imply for roles and responsibilities for different
parties involved? Are there special things that
governments and/or civil society should be expected to do?
How can they collaborate better among each other? Do
governments and civil society have different interests?
Your comments may be on any of these parties: communities,
civil society, private sector, local authorities, national
government, and research organisations)
SESSION 4 – On the mandate and strategies for the ADEA
Working Group on Non-formal education
Issue 10:
Collaboration across African countries.
(Is it helpful if governments, civil society
organisations, and/or research organisations can work
together across different African countries? What should
be the purpose of such collaboration? In what ways could
they work together?)
Issue 11:
Internal and external contributions.
(In what creative ways do local communities contribute to
the improvement of basic education? How can we ensure that
more of this can happen? What are new ways for
international agencies to contribute better to NFE or
Basic Education development? What would you expect them
NOT to do?)
Issue 12:
The role of the ADEA Working Group on Non-formal
Education.
(What is the role that the ADEA WG can play in the
re-orientation and re-direction of NFE and Basic
Education? What strategies and initiatives could be
especially relevant?) top
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