Conclusion: Global Developments in Adult Education Policy

Abstract

As identified in the Preface, numerous external factors have affected the worldwide development of adult education of late, including several shifts in international and national policy-making contexts. Overall, the worldwide appearance and expression of adult education and lifelong learning differ significantly from the comparable study that was conducted in the 1990s by Bélanger and Federighi (2000). However, with one or two exceptions, it has been neither obvious nor well known how such changes have affected policies and policy-making on the ground. How have the approaches of various countries and organizations changed in recent times, and with what effects? The previous chapters show that contexts matter: country and organizational policymaking frameworks, the policies themselves, and how they are enacted still differ widely. Each country has its own traditions, legislative structures and cultures, and pace of progress. Other factors differ as well: governmental attitudes, the specific foci of adult education initiatives, relationships with the systems and institutions of youth and higher education, and the influence of civil society groups and supranational organizations.