The Globalisation Council
The Prime Minister’s Office
Christiansborg
Prins Jørgens Gård 11
DK-1218 København K


5 January 2006


It is with great interest that Danish Adult Education Association has read the discussion paper on Denmark and globalisation, and we have also observed the work of the Globalisation Council which for good reason has focused on education.

We want to draw the attention of the Council to the following four important elements of education in a knowledge society:

- lifelong learning – for everyone - including people with a low level of educational attainment
- incentives to education
- learning in working life, in leisure time and while participating in association activities
- strengthening of cohesive power

These are elements which non-formal adult education has been engaged in and which we are particularly qualified to implement.

Globalisation requires learning and adaptability to change

The consequences of globalisation affect all of us. Both as a society and as individuals we have to relate to our competitive position and competence development in an increasingly complex and synchronous world. Danish Adult Education Association would be willing to contribute to the debate and the ambitious national enhancement which is fundamental to the creation of an innovative, socially strong and sustainable society in the global economy. Learning and adaptability are key concepts for the individual and for society, and also in order to have this project succeed.

The EU memorandum on lifelong learning

As early as in March 2000, competencies of the citizens were on top of the agenda at the EU summit, and it was made clear that know-how of the citizens was the most important asset of the EU. Later the European Commission produced a Memorandum on Lifelong Learning and the member-states agreed that a lifelong and “life-broad” learning is key both from a democratic angle and for reasons of employment and competitiveness.

Working, education and life patterns are rapidly changing. Education systems are going to be adapted to new realities. Lifelong learning is essential to the development of citizenship, social cohesion and employment.

The Memorandum indicates that it is important to make learning more attractive.

One of the fundamental competencies which is emphasized is the “ability to learn”, and the reason is that this ability creates incentive to involve actively in learning processes all through our lives.

Another important objective is to develop efficient teaching and learning methods and also to provide the framework for a broad range of lifelong learning activities. Furthermore validation of learning has been given priority, especially learning which is acquired outside the established educational institutions.

Non-formal adult education has gained a wealth of experience and in-depth expertise in these areas. This is something we are good at.

The necessary supplement

For decades, non-formal adult education has been both a necessary challenge and a necessary supplement to the formal education systems. Teaching methods and new ways of training have been tested.

Many people, who earlier in life have suffered defeat within the education system, see adult education as a way back to regaining the belief that they, too, are able to learn and undergo training.

Real competencies / prior learning

A lot of knowledge and learning is acquired in working life, association activities, and spare time activities and in non-formal adult education. It involves both traditional vocational skills and other kinds of skills, social skills e.g. the ability to recognise ones own weakness and strength, the ability to create ideas, and initiatives, and to enter binding co-operations. These competencies are in high demand in a modern labour market.

Guidance and non-formal adult education play an important role in the process of recognising and validating these competencies.

During one and a half year, non-formal adult education in a wide range has generally been working with recognition and validation of prior learning, which has been acquired outside the formal education system, in order to improve the job opportunities of the citizens and to facilitate their access to formal education.

The next couple of years, recognition and validation of prior learning are going to remain an important priority area of the Danish Adult Education Association and many of its member organisations.

The cohesive power of society

At the moment Danish society is in a strong position financially and socially, and this is due to the cohesive power of society, to “flexicurity” (labour market flexibility) and social security which obviously attracts great interest in foreign countries. But it is based on more than laws and regulations, namely on a broad-based cohesive power of society.

The recent incidents in the suburbs of Paris underline how important it is to avoid the splitting of society and the creation of separate communities.

The education and training activities of non-formal adult education prevent such splitting of society by involving citizens in their communities. Furthermore adult education is focused on initiatives that promote active citizenship. By way of example can be mentioned projects such as combined education and integration projects, the strengthening of local democracy through reform of municipal structures and public debates on Europe and the future of the EU.

Non-formal adult education is ready

Non-formal adult education is ready to contribute to the required broad national competence enhancement and is standing by to provide both basic teaching in Danish, reading, maths, English and IT, educational guidance, development of methods and to provide socially innovative ways of learning together.

Actually, we would be happy to contribute to an English teaching campaign in order to encourage the Danes to become bilingual.

We look forward to a continued dialogue with the Globalisation Council about learning, competence development and readjustment. We are ready for that.

Yours sincerely,

Naser Khader, head of DAEA

Open letter to the Globalisation Council from the Danish Adult Education Association