Vox norway; european basic skills network

Malta, January 2013 Graciela Sbertoli Vox – Norway

European Basic Skills [email protected]

Adult Education in Basic SkillsA critical reflexion

What is Vox?

• Agency owned by the Ministry of Education and Research• Working also for other ministries• Policy providers• Between policy makers and implementation level• Coordinating multiple stakeholders• A triangle of objectives with a focus on the adult learner• Research, national programs, validation, career guidance,

basic skills, immigrant integration, communication, international cooperation (see vox.no)

Graciela Sbertoli / Vox

The European Basic Skills Network

• An initiative born within the Working Group for the Commission’s Action Plan for Adult Learning

• Launched on June 2010• Now: an independent network cooperating with the

Commission• Target group: policy makers and policy providers

www.basicskills.eu

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[email protected]

Basic principles

Objectives of AL in Norway:Increasing the adult population’s

•employability•social inclusion•access to further learning•general welfare

for the sake of the

individual

for economic growth

for the good of society

Basic skills: what is this all about?

• Basic = foundational

FIRST THINGS FIRST

• Literacy• Numeracy• Digital Competence• Oral communication

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A hidden problem

• What does it mean to be literate?• Making numeracy count• Literacy in the digital era

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Initial training is not enough

• The problem of erosion• Motivation and relevance• Access to materials• Flexible training provision

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Literacy is not (only) about decoding…

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… and it is a moving target

Increasing gaps

• Demographic change• The age issue• Migration

• Internationalization and development

• Bureaucratic demands• Efficiency requirements

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Governance issues

• Responsibility – Who is in charge?• Finances • Quality

• Teacher training• Accreditation of providers• Efficiency as element of quality

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The way ahead

• Awareness raising• Shouldering the responsibility• Involvement of all stakeholders• Recycling of resources• Synergies at national and

European level

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