Lifelong learning – a basic pillar of Germany’s new education strategy for development cooperation

In the context of a larger consultation process to develop a new education strategy, the German Ministry for Cooperation and Development organised an expert meeting in Bonn on Thursday 7 July. The meeting was attended by specialists from governmental and non-governmental organisations and institutions, including UIL.

It was the latest in a continuing series of consultation meetings on the key objectives of the Ministry's draft education strategy. After discussing appropriate ways to refine Strategic Objective 2 (“Promote education on a holistic basis”), participants made recommendations for its effective implementation.

It was agreed that while sound analysis of national contexts is key to channelling development aid effectively, the concept of lifelong learning can be considered an especially useful analytical framework in reforming the national education systems of German development aid recipients. Input was provided by the German Society for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GIZ), dvv international (the Institute for International Cooperation of the German Adult Education Association [Deutscher Volkshochschul-Verband e.V], DVV) the German development bank (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, KfW), the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, DAAD) and UIL. The presentation by UIL focused on reflections and challenges in capacity development to establish lifelong learning systems in UNESCO member states.  A study prepared by UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) provided additional background information.