Decades of governmental neglect mark the socio-political realities of older people in Lebanon. They endure poverty, illiteracy, ageism, exclusion from healthcare and social security, and are absent from public spaces. Against the backdrop of these realities and Lebanon's ageing population, the Lebanese Ministry of Social Affairs, in collaboration…

In the context of rapid economic, social, and demographic change, fostering equity and inclusion in third level education is a prerequisite for adaptability, social cohesion, and human development. Community-university collaborations demonstrate significant potential to widen participation in Higher Education (HE). In the following article, we…

The aim of this study is to examine what it means to be a student in a vocational education and training programme in the municipal adult education system in Sweden and how the interplay between school and working life affects students' identity formation. To achieve this, 12 students from two different programmes have been interviewed at the end…

It is Europe's ambition to be a strong knowledge based economy. The European Commission recognises the role of lifelong learning in achieving this aim. However, exploring participation rates in post-compulsory learning, it is clear that access to education and training is unequally distributed in society. We know that participation rates vary by…

This paper draws on a national lifelong learning (LLL) strategy document to argue that not all EU member states are ready to give up on a more broadened social and community-oriented form of LLL, at least in their policy document discourse. They can appeal, in their policy interpretations, to the 'democratic imaginary' whereby learning, including…

The literature regarding the social organisation of 'adult' learning opportunities throughout the life course postulates different significations of policy concepts such as 'lifelong education', 'permanent education', 'recurrent education', and 'lifelong learning' in the 1970s. This paper examines policy formation processes in France during the…

Drawing upon two research studies using life history interviews to explore the learning trajectories of traditionally published fiction authors, this paper focuses on the selective and layered level of storytelling that occurs in life history research; before, during, after, and beyond the interview process. Various aspects of stories that authors…

The European Union (EU) has significantly influenced the formation of European adult education policy in the last decade. By raising the importance and visibility of adult education, the EU has become an influential actor in the norm and standard setting for adult education and lifelong learning. However, as previous research has shown, the EU…

In our contribution, we investigate the relationship between social investment (SI) and lifelong learning (LLL), discussing how LLL can be integrated theoretically within a SI approach, by focussing on the ideational principles and policy strategies. First, we describe the SI and LLL perspectives, reviewing their foundations and main principles.…

This paper focuses on learning by a group of Bedouin women in a community in eastern Egypt. It discusses the dynamic nature of indigenous learning, and the adaptability of its patterns and content. It describes how its patterns may yield to modern learning systems, and how traditional knowledge and livelihoods may be lost in the process. It gleans…

According to globalisation theories, the importance of international organisations such as UNESCO and EU regarding processes of policy-making is increasing and it is no longer the nation state alone that is regulating policy. Focusing on equity and social justice as central topics of the global discourse, the article raises the question of how…

This paper focuses on the rapidly expanding field of largescale international assessment surveys and their impact on the field of adult education and learning. I take the case of OECD's survey assessing adult skills (PIAAC) and situate it within the wider context of the datification of educational policy and practice. The claims made for the…

This paper re-examines the position of the Tanzanian Folk Development Colleges, a national network of adult education institutions, at a time when their long-term financial assistance by the Swedish International Development Agency has come to an end and they are being transferred from the Tanzanian Government Ministry of Community Development to…

Besides other theoretical perspectives, the understanding of present adult education and learning policy discourse also demands contributions from social enquiry originated in the broader field of permanent education. The works of Paulo Freire and Ettore Gelpi, two of the most important authors who developed a critical perspective of permanent…

This paper explores the learning that goes on when adults with learning disabilities are involved in inclusive (participatory or emancipatory) research. Applying thematic and narrative re-analysis of data from a series of focus groups involving inclusive researchers talking about their research work indicates inclusive research is a rich site for…