Renewal of Educational Thought in Adult Education - Issue No. 1 April 2021
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Renewal
of Educational Thought
in Adult Education Issue No. 1
April 2021
AHAED JOURNAL
A professional electronic periodic journal
issued by the Arab House
for Adult Education and Development
Journal Editorial Board Members:
- Elsy Wakil: Secretary General of the Arab House for Adult Education and
Development, founder of the Lebanese Education Coalition, and a member of the Board of
Directors for the Global Campaign for Education - Lebanon.
- Ola Issa: Editor-in-chief of AHAED journal, and national director of the International
Cooperation Foundation of the German Association for Adult Education (DVV
International) in Palestine.
- Mohamed Mediouni: Associationist, Researcher Interested in Adult Education and
Learning Issues – Morocco.
- Al-Sayed Mossad: Researcher and Adult Education Specialist _ Curriculum Author,
and Member of the Arab Network for Literacy and Adult Education - Egypt.
- Firas Saleh: Adult Education Facilitator, member of the Iraqi Education Coalition, and
the Arab Campaign for Education for All - Iraq.
- Tharwat Gaid: Holder of a master's degree in Public Policies and Development
Projects Evaluation, an activist in adult education and human rights, and a member of the
International Council for Adult Education, the ANHRE Network for Civic Education and
the Arab Network for Literacy and Adult Education - Egypt.
- Khouzama Rashid: A member of the ANHRE Network and the Jordanian Education
Coalition, and its representative on the Board of Directors of the Arab Campaign for
Education - Jordan.
- Abeer Hilal: Activist in the field of adult education and learning (with disabilities),
project secretary at the Sudanese Coalition for Education for All, member of the Executive
Office of the World Family and Child Organization - Sudan.
Linguistic revision and refinement: Al-Sayed Mossad Abdel-Gawad, Mohamed Mediouni,
Tharwat Gaid, Firas Saleh.
Design of the first issue: Elie Azar.
Translation of the first issue into English: Sonia Fuad El Cherkawi
Copyright © 2021 Arab House for Adult Education and Development "AHAED".
All Rights Reserved.
2
Table of Contents
Editorial - Make yourself at home/Elsy Wakil 5
- Special Interview - Renew what? Why? With dr. Zahi Azar, President of the Arab 6
Campaign for Education, Secretary General of the Arab Network for Popular Education and
founding member of the Arab House for Adult Education and Development/ Interviewed by
Ola Issa
- Adult Education Coordinators Forum - Coordinator in the field of adult 11
Education...Nobility of the mission and the multiplicity of roles/Mohammed Al-Madioni
File of the Issue - Renewal of educational thought in adult education 14
- Addressing the New Adult Learning / Education... (Post-Corona Crisis)" Results and 14
Recommendations of the Arab Academy for Adult Education and Development 2020/group
of experts contributing to the Academy
- Developing the skills of adult remote education teacher trainers: Introduction to educational 28
renewal (in light of the experience of the General Authority for Adult Education - Egypt)/ Dr.
Iman Mohammad Abdel-Rahim
- Digitization and Digital-Man: Reflection on digital communication experience in adult 32
education programs – Jordan/ Mohammad Al-Shayyab
- Educational Renewal: Needs and Requirements/ Dr. Majda Mohammad Abdo 35
- The rationale for renewal in training programs and its fields/ Fatima Abdul Rahman Al-Alwan 38
- The challenges facing renewal in the Arab context and proposals to deal with them/ Malika 40
Ghabbar
Adult Education News 43
- Arab House for Adult Education and Development "AHAED" News/ Elsy Wakil and Ola Issa 43
- The Arab House for Adult Education and Development "AHAED" adopts the regional 43
preparations in the Arab region for the 7th International Conference on Adult Education
CONFINTEA VII
- The Arab House for Adult Education and Development obtains membership in the 44
International Council for Adult Education (ICAE)
- The Arab House for Adult Education and Development "AHAED" launches its own 45
specialized website
- The Arab House for Adult Education and Development and the four regional Arab networks 46
that found it joining the membership of the Arab Education Coalition
- An intense meeting that included the Arab Network for Popular Education, the Lebanese 46
Educational Coalition and the Arab House for Adult Education and Development (AHAED)
- A five-year global campaign under the slogan "We Are ALE" 47
- The Arab Network for Literacy and Adult Education continues its efforts to support and promote 48
adult learning and education programs in Arab countries/ Nashwa Radwan
- Member of the Arab Network for Literacy and Adult Education, the Red Crescent Society of the 49
Gaza Strip implements an emergency plan to ensure the continuity and comprehensiveness of
literacy programs in the Strip/ Imad Hamdi Al-Hattab
- The Arab Network for Civic Education launches a number of initiatives and events/ Fotouh 50
Younes
3
Table of Contents
- Empowerment of Women for Leadership Booklet 50
- "Youth for Democracy" Academy 51
- The launch of ANHRE digital learning platform www.epanhre.org 51
- The Arab Campaign for Education continues its international, regional and local activities to 53
enhance the unification of lobbying and advocacy efforts for adult learning and education/ Heba
Al-Jaabari
- Election of Refat Sabbah and Adam Mohammad to the steering committee membership of 53
the international "Education Cannot Wait" program
- Launch of the Arab Educational Policy Academy at its first session 2020 53
- The Arab Educational Feminist Forum: Announcing the birth of a new vision for the role of 54
women in the Arab educational movement
- The Palestinian Educational Feminist Forum "Feminism in the Educational Discourse" 56
- Establishing a youth group and strengthening its role in the Arab Campaign for Education 56
- Two national workshops on education financing policies in Iraq and Morocco 57
- Teacher Creativity Center supports the formation of community committees for education in 58
Palestine/ Hala Al Qubbaj
- Educational Stand: a TV talk show serving regional learning and education issues 59
- The German Association for Adult Education concludes an orientation and training program for 59
the beneficiaries of the cash-for-work project in Jordan/ Nazaret Nazaretyan
- A gender-specific set of tools for adult learning and education in the Middle East and North 60
Africa region/ Donia Benmeloud
- The German Association for Adult Education and Dar Al Kalima University College launch the 61
cultural project "Hakaya Collective"/ Nidal Al Kaabi
Translations - Because the future cannot wait; Reflecting on the "Futures" of ALE/ Christoph Jost and 63
Uwe Gartenschlaeger
The Figure of the Issue - (Malak Hifni Nasif) Researcher of the Desert and the Liberator of Women/ 66
Al-Sayed Mussad Abdel-Gawad
Research Summaries - Reaching the Marginalized - Good Practices in Adult Learning and Education 69
in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and South Asia/ Ola Issa, Firas Saleh, and Al-Sayed Mussad
AHAED in the eyes of the readers 81
4
)) Make yourself at home ((
It is the "Arab House for Adult Education and Development", a house with many homes, it is a
hospitable Arab house, the doors of which are literary open to all Arab brothers active in the "adult
education" sector or about this education ... It is a house of advocacy for the commitment of all
components of civil society to engage in this promising educational effort, at a time when social
challenges of all kinds affecting education as a whole, and adult education in particular, are increasing
... it is an Arab house for adult education and "development" ... We have highlighted the word
"development" in order to correct our approaches that we present to all visitors ... It is a house in
which and where we debate, and suggest, and visitors criticize, propose and activate the culture of
criticism, this culture is built in this house as it is a basic path in building everything new in adult
education ... It is a dialogue that aims to unify visions - even at a minimum - so that we live a culture
of collective solidarity, successful testing, and constructive participatory dialectic.
If we go to visit the Arab House, we will find in it many field activists, keeping up with
intellectuals and organic thinkers, who are apparently sitting in it around coffee cups and tea cups, and
thinking, not only about exchanging their experiences and ideas that have matured in several Arab
countries, but also about the accumulation of their experiences, learning how to read experiences to
build on them all new.
The Arab house is also a place for women in which a woman is a cornerstone, full of rights, she
participates in solemnity and depth in the construction process, and she has a high throne in the house
so that her voice can be heard loud, honest, and piercing.
In this first issue of "AHAED" journal, we offer you from the heart an invitation to visit this house
so that you can inspect it with its modest accomplishments and interconnected dreams, so that you can
rest a little in it and become one of its basic pillars; in the service of people who want learning,
education and development in our Arab world. Our journal is the offspring of this house, excluding no
one who would like to take on this great educational challenge.
"AHAED" journal, in its first issue after zero, invites you to renew your commitment to adult
education because we have learned that together we give networking meaning through expression,
thinking and the field, hoping that we can take steps forward with people. "AHAED" journal, which
wishes to reflect the advanced principles of innovation, on which adult education initiatives are built
today, invites you to make an effort; to expand the "participation" in it to include also learning seekers
as writers in this journal, so that we are really looking up to live out the principles and premises we
require in "AHAED" journal or within the desired renewal in the entire educational process.
Finally, I can only raise the voice calling you, because people are calling us; to renew
determination, and to set out again and seriously with our people who are striving - not only - to
change life, but to be the concern of life ... and in the end: Welcome ... Make yourself at home.
Elsy Wakil
General Secretary of the Arab House for Adult Education
and Development, founder of the Lebanese Educational
Coalition, and a member of the Board of Directors for the
Global Campaign for Education - Lebanon.
5
Renew what? Why?
Special Interview with dr. Zahi Azar, President of the Arab Campaign for Education, Secretary General of the
Arab Network for Popular Education and founding member of the Arab House for Adult Education and
Development
Interviewed by Ola Issa, Editor-in-chief of AHAED journal
In an Arab world exhausted by the tensions between two invitations; one of them is reluctant to
review reality out of fear that it will end up submitting to others' orientations that do not express our
authenticity, and the other is estranging from that reality, and does not see salvation from it except
with a serious attempt to renew, re-read the lived reality, and form visions; to change it towards a
better future, the Arab House for Adult Education and Development "AHAED" presents itself to the
Arab adult learning and education community, carrying the niche for educational renewal in adult
learning as a goal, a method, and a path.
In this dialogue, Dr. Zahi Azar tells us that this path is inevitable and unavoidable, and that goal
deserves our determination and mobilizing the motivation. Of course, the curators of the Arab House
"AHAED" realize that it is not an easy way, and in his own words, Azar says: "But it seems an
important and worthy adventure ... This Arab house deserves ... a visit."
The Arab House for adult education and about a whole community movement here. Even
development calls from the moment it was in numbers, which are very relative and
launched to a path of renewal throughout questionable for many reasons; globally, we as
the Arab region as a whole, so what do you an Arab society are at the end of the list of
mean by renewal in educational thought of success in adult education. The details in this
adult learning and education? area are numerous, not to mention issues such as
the position of women, where at least two-thirds
The question is accurate, and the answer is not of the illiterate are females, and here we also fall
monolithic, rather it must take several paths. into the first ranks of excluding women from
When we say renewal, it certainly means the learning and education in general, and from the
need to start a process of criticism and self- field of adult education for many reasons that I
criticism of the adult education path in the will not go into details in this regard.
various Arab countries, and the organizations and
associations working in it. This in itself is a major Unfortunately, I say: that somewhere, those in
first stop in the renewal process. charge of adult education, and those working in
adult education, must be convinced that there is
The idea of renewal may seem inevitable in the some failure. Here we clash with a popular
direction of the Arab House, which is indeed so, ideology (or a popular culture) that does not
if we start from the fact that this criticism and place failure in any recognition. In our country
self-criticism in our attempts to read reality you got to be very successful. Every failure is
means that we start with our feeling of failure in ruled out because it is often the exclusion of the
the adult education process. This failure is not official, or the worker, or the body supervising
collective, and cannot be generalized as the whole process of learning and education. So,
inevitability; because there are a number of spots over time, we used to not talk about failure, but
where the experience is somewhat positive and always reduced it to something pretty unserious,
successful in adult education. But we're talking or inefficient, and therefore, the solution is always
6
reduced it to something pretty unserious, or -ury". Because we no longer have time. Those
inefficient, and therefore, the solution is capacity- who are aware of the challenges of our
building, or restructuring, or similar kind of contemporary times know that social problems
solution, but all of this is part of a major failure, are increasing a lot and are likely to increase in
as no success can be achieved without self- the coming period.
criticism, which must be able to acknowledge this
failure, not to mention that the conviction by the The repercussions of the COVID-19 crisis affects
issue of self-criticism goes beyond all this today, us strongly, not only at the general economic and
to reach to be a basis not only in looking at the social level, but specifically at the level of
past, but in establishing the process of education; because it will be the first victim of
democratization of education and learning in the pandemic, as this already marginalized item
general, because this "democratization" is the will be once more marginalized by reducing the
path to launching a natural logical wheel in the budgets allocated to it at the governmental level,
adult education process. which will further deteriorate the public school
in general in most Arab countries.
Here we talked about objective beginnings in the The deterioration of the public school means
process of renewal. In this sense, this kind of more school dropout, which may reach numbers
educational training dialogue, and at the same between 20% and 30% and will inflate the
time practical - establishes the whole process of numbers of unemployment, and this means an
renewing education and the democratic transition increase in the number of uneducated adults, all
to it, which assumes that renewal is also a process of which is done very quickly in light of the
of training educational cadres in a new integrated absence of normal economic wheel rotation in
approach; in order to carry the process of moving most Arab countries.
forward in the educational approach, its
applications and interactions, to make the adult This educational decline will also affect our
education process a success. concept of illiteracy, which must evolve as this
phenomenon will affect - in addition to the direct
This is one of the aspects of renewal that is form - many indirect forms in what we might call
required, but it also undermines many of the several levels of illiteracy, even if those
axioms that we are accustomed to, whether in the concerned are relatively able to read and write,
life of civil society associations or in the life of and gradually affect "illiterate women", so to
government institutions, whose employees must speak, many groups in society are candidates to
also get used to these new principles of work in be among the work of activists in adult
order to succeed. Here is an important role for the education.
Arab House under the title: (Renewal) that seeks
to build these cadres that think in this way to take There is no doubt that these collapses in their
the responsibility of working in each of the accelerated form will push the poor, whose
concerned Arab countries. poverty is increasing in the absence of a
comprehensive socio-economic project, to resort
Do we have the luxury of choosing between to various forms of religious extremism, which
renewal and non-renewal? What do you see greatly affect the position of women in society,
at stake, if we do not take those complex as well as lead to the marginalization of large
paths you have talked about? social groups, who may choose their own
dynamics that do not give education an essential
Of course, we no longer have what you call "lux- place in life.
7
We never have the luxury of time, and the luxury society is essential and educational par
of never embarking on a comprehensive renewal excellence for those working in this field within
of the entire education process, on the other hand. the various Arab societies.
Raising awareness of the reality that leads to a This, too, should be among the priorities of the
rapid inflation of adults seeking education in Arab House.
So, what data should be available in order to achieve this inevitable renewal?
The process of networking in the Arab world is essential; to reach out to each other, so that we learn
together jointly from each other, and we jointly read experiences here and there, as well as jointly
build our capabilities to start the process of renewal. The presence of four networks in the Arab house,
in addition to many friends and supporters in this field, may lead to building a nucleus distinguished
by its awareness of the tragic reality we are living in, as well as building an experimental roadmap for
salvation, which takes into account the peculiarities of each Arab country and within each Arab
country.
If such an Arab nucleus can exist and activate this existence; it means that we are also able to benefit
from successful experiences in adult education that span a number of third world countries, or the first
world, from which we take a number of useful elements that can renew visions and curricula in adult
education.
The issue is not only theoretical, it is theoretical and practical, in the sense that it is mainly field, but
it is this interaction that confirms these visions and makes us as an Arab House more able to address
the depth of our societies on two levels:
A. Civil Society Level: B. Governmental Bodies:
It is wrong to think that civil society in the Approaching government bodies is essential,
Arab world is interested in adult education. In as the largest number of these bodies also
the formations of civil society, education, suffer from problems related to vision,
unfortunately, as a whole is still marginal, and contrary to what is perceived by civil society;
within education, adult education is considered because of the scarcity of dialogues between
more marginal, and a small proportion of civil it and government bodies. In some places,
society components deal with this issue, except crises are civilly and governmentally the
in a few countries. same in dealing with adult education,
Approaching the civil society is essential, and especially in these tragic circumstances.
even an educational necessity, so that this civil
society does not remain lost between the Launching this dialogue is very educational
pressure of the ruling authority on the one for government bodies, which also strive to
hand, and the pressure of external make adult education a success. The pursuit
organizations that finance and impose on the of renewal presupposes this attempt with
other hand. This approach is absolutely government bodies that may succeed, or fail,
necessary for the various associations, bodies but have great chances of success.
and associations to interact and give
fundamental importance to education in their
social work, and then be more powerful in their
dialogue with funders and the imposition of
their priorities.
8
Raising awareness of the importance of dialogue between civil society and government bodies is in
itself one of the first foundational successes for renewal in the adult education process, albeit
relatively, and it requires a lot of effort. The role of the Arab House in building innovative cadres in
adult education also extends to the aforementioned two levels, and if we succeed at the level of
government bodies - this may mean more effectiveness for this educational process, and give more
robust tools in the renewal process as a whole.
What directions or paths do the Arab House consider important and priority in
preparing these data for achieving educational renewal?
The Arab House “AHAED” seeks to be a primary reference for those working in adult education in
the Arab world, so what does this reference mean? There is no doubt that the reference is gradually
being built, through many dimensions that this reference will have, the most important of which is to
be a distinguished center for a productive meeting for those working in the issue of adult education,
and has on its agenda several items integrated to give this impression and be effective:
a. Continue the reality reading process. education".
b. Compilation of the existing statistical and h. Securing a reference website that includes the
intellectual studies in this regard. contributions of the various networks and
c. Training cadres capable of creativity in the associations working in this area, in addition
process of renewal (through the Arab to the relevant research and studies.
Academy for Adult Education and i. Delve into the issue of the position of women
Development). as a whole in the educational and training
d. Supervising the exchange process between the process.
various organizations, bodies and associations j. Ensuring participation in the various
operating in this regard. conferences held inside or outside the Arab
e. Exchanging successful experiences about world.
adult education in Arab countries. k. Seeking to build a new Arab educational
f. Openness and sharing of successful curriculum in a participatory manner that
experiences in adult education in the third benefits all those working in this field in the
world. Arab countries.
g. Participation in the process of renewing l. Establishing special forums under innovative
educational concepts that are used in "adult headlines in the adult education process.
There is no doubt that what we have reviewed is within the constant part of the activities that the
Arab House is supposed to carry out, provided that there must be a great deal of flexibility in that,
as AHAED also interacts with the reality of adult education activities in the Arab world, and may
propose many projects that support, serve and develop these trends.
to speak, that is, it is a group of convictions that
What are the obstacles that stand in the
have been fixed over time and have led work on
way of achieving these trends? How do you
the level of adult education, and these trends
interact with it in the Arab House?
reproduce themselves; despite all the changes
The most important obstacles are ideological, so that this ideology ( the dominant culture ) keeps
9
marginal, and continues to produce the old. If we innovative visions, and they are able in an
want to give an example, let's look at the role of atmosphere of freedom to interact together and
the facilitator in learning groups. You may call build this process of renewal in a real service that
him what you want, he is a facilitator or may restore some of the future to the
coordinator, but he often reproduces the marginalized and oppressed in their societies ...
traditional character of the teacher, and the But it seems an important and worthy adventure
education remains banking, according to Paolo ... This Arab House deserves ... a visit.
Freire's expression, meaning that the teacher is
the source of information. He transmits it and the
student remains marginal in the educational
process, receiving and being indoctrinated; so he Azar is one of the founders of the
seldom succeeds, and often turns away and fails. Arab House for Adult Education
Often this coordinator reproduces the "teacher" and Development and the first
because it is a continuation of the pattern of the member of its first board of
relationship that exists between his department directors. He is also the president
of the Arab Campaign for
and him. Education, Secretary General and
founder of the Arab Network for
)) There is no doubt that Popular Education. Dr. Azar has
been in the adult education field
the obstacles are many, for decades as part of his work on
but the seriousness of the Ecumenical Project for
working in AHAED may Popular Education in Lebanon. He
is a recognized expert of course
impose itself in the for working within the approach
process of overcoming of Paulo Freire.
these obstacles ((.
This is often reflected in the learning programs,
which are without a curriculum, and are like
reading writing and arithmetic books, received
by learners and exclude them from building
knowledge and interacting with it and acting in
the community.
There are, of course, other types of obstacles
such as the funder who imposes his will, or who
indirectly imposes his approach, not to mention
some governments in which the will to control
each curriculum, approach and non-academic
outcomes in the learning process prevails.
Finally, we say: AHAED reduces the possibility
of non-success by relying on groups of
individuals in different Arab countries, who have
experienced educational work with adults with
10Adult Education
Coordinators Forum
This Forum …
The issue of strengthening the capacities of facilitators and trainers in the field of adult education
appears to be of particular importance at a time when the need for these social actors as pioneers of
change grows; and as well the need for building another horizon of knowledge and enlightenment
among adults. In view of the major orientations of the project led by "AHAED" and in support of the
attendance effort that is being made at the formation and training forums and courses in various parts
of our great homeland, and what the Arab Academy for Adult Education and Development offers in
terms of space for sharing and thinking about adult education and development issues, and what the
various networks operating in the field contribute to; we suggest this corner as a space for sharing
topics of interest to various aspects of preparation and strengthening the capacities of coordinators
and trainers in the areas of visualization and construction, learning approaches and methods, and the
set of skills and competencies facilitating the work of these coordinators with local communities, in
the form of illuminations that enable the reader to see the most important components integrated in
the learning activity and the types of facilitated relationships to make it a success and make it in the
service of community development.
This forum is open and welcomes the contributions of all workers in the field of training
and formation, and specialists in the field of adult learning and education in general.
Coordinator in the field of adult Education ...
Nobility of the mission and the multiplicity of roles
The organizing principle that underpins all • Awareness of the components of the
forms of education is based on integrating, educational-learning process in its
liberating, humane and democratic values. The comprehensiveness and in its multiplicity of
concept of learning in order to develop the dimensions (cognitive, relational and
ability to act is essential to managing the rapid emotional).
transformations and challenges facing our • Openness to the foundations and principles of
societies, and this is essentially what andragogy, and the constant evocation of the
consecrates the nobility of the task entrusted to peculiarities of adult education
the coordinator working in the field of adult • Self-development ability.
education. Engaging in the task of coordinating, • Awareness of the educational project and its
activating and framing adult education goals, and ensuring that all educational effort
programs requires that every interventionist falls within the guidelines for that project.
have some basic elements for the success of the • To be keen to keep pace with the
task, the most important of which can be requirements of educational renewal, and to
summarized in: engage in the adventure of interventional
educational research in order to renew practices
11and ensure lifelong learning. people, on top of which is respect for their • Ensuring respect for the ethics of working with dignity and valuing their experiences. In the following, we will present the most important axes that require these elements to take into account, and work to develop and enhance them: 1. The Coordinator is a social actor and a change and development worker: There is no "impartial" education, which leads to stressing the importance of the coordinator's choices, and the resulting decisions that concern his positions on the reality and those who live that reality who are in his circle of action. People's justified and directed anger against injustice, exclusion and marginalization, and against exploitation and violence in all their forms, must consciously play its educational role and constitute a starting point for objective awareness of the conditions that secrete or consecrate those practices, and that form of relationships. Only in this way will the coordinator be an actor and a social worker standing on the side of those whose basic rights have been denied by the machine of the existing regimes. This, of course, requires that the coordinator make an ongoing effort to: • Read the reality in which he moves in an objective scientific way. • Be aware of the various factors affecting this reality. • Have an objective understanding of the reality of the people with whom he works and starting from it; in order to keep up with them in the process of achieving the goals for which they were engaged in the learning programs. The coordinator in the field of adult education is not just a teacher of an educational subject, or a conveyor of knowledge of interest to one or more fields of knowledge, whose mission ends with his group learning basic competencies related to reading, writing and arithmetic; this task goes beyond that to a joint building of capabilities and continuous empowerment of individuals and groups; in order for them to become masters of their destinies, shapers of their future, and contributors to the family, social, economic and cultural advancement of the communities in which they live. From Freire's point of view “teaching is not about transferring knowledge, but about creating opportunities for its production and construction.“ 2. Relational aspect: The relationship of the coordinator with the class group goes beyond that framework, which is institutionally determined by traditional planning teacher / learner, and this requires many requirements, the most important of which can be pointed out: • Objective comprehensive knowledge of the characteristics of class groups. • Dealing with group members as individual subjects, each with its own needs, interests, and life experiences. • The adoption of dialogue and participation as the basis for any learning process. • Adopting keeping up and accompanying as a principle in the learning process, capacity development, and building personal projects for learners. 12
The principle of accompaniment is particularly important in this context, as it allows, through the
mechanisms of work associated to it, the coordinator to play multiple roles including the role of
mentor, trainer, former, reference, motivator, and facilitator, with the ability to set the general rhythm
of the learning process according to the need for each of these roles.
The success of the task also requires that the coordinator be able to adapt the content individually to
each learner. The coordinator’s style and attitudes towards each learner are extremely important,
confirmed by the participants’ expressions such as: “I may forget what you tried to teach me, but I
will never forget what you made me feel during the process.”
3. Lifelong training in the service of lifelong learning:
The coordinator has come to be seen as "a specialist in the field, responsible for managing the entire
learning process, from program planning to implementation, analysis, evaluation and teaching," and is
therefore required, more than others, to learn continuously, remain alert, open to the achievements of
the humanities and cope with everything new in approaches and competencies, with awareness
imposed by the social responsibility that he bears through his involvement in the performance of this
mission.
Today's adult education class coordinators are no longer simply knowledge builders. Consequently,
the term “teacher” is being increasingly replaced by the term "mediator", "facilitator", "trainer",
"processions", "group activator", ... and others. These terms contain a full range of specific skills that
are essential for adult education. In addition to academic qualifications related to school subjects, the
coordinator of adult education programs must possess a set of methodological and pedagogical skills,
including preparation, planning and production of materials, and a good selection of resources,
methods and assessment tools. The coordinator also needs social and interpersonal skills, as well as
the ability to use theoretical and practical knowledge in his field of work.
Obviously, "the quality of adult education programs will improve automatically if we provide high-
quality forming and training to adult teachers and educators." Therefore, it is the responsibility of the
institutions first and the coordinators and supervisors as well (as part of a lifelong self-learning effort)
to give the issue of forming and training what it deserves, and create a distance between them and the
imitating ruminant practices of existing methods and curricula, through continuous accountability for
their practices, their usefulness, and their suitability to the abilities and needs of learners and to the
local contexts.
Mohamed Mediouni
Associationist, Researcher Interested in Adult Education
and Learning Issues – Morocco.
--------------------------
References:
*EAD 86/2019 : Le bon éducateur d’adultes – petit tour d’horizon.
*EAD 86/2019 : Le bon éducateur d’adultes - Former de bons éducateurs d’adultes (de l’idée jusqu’au cadre juridique).
13Renewal of educational
thought in adult education
The Arab House for Adult Education and Development "AHAED" has been calling since its inception
for a renewal in the educational thought for adult learning and education. Indeed, renewal was one of
the reasons for its establishment and launch. In his interview in this issue of the journal, Dr. Zahi Azar
pointed to the inevitability of renewal and its importance as a main starting point for the Arab House
and its directions towards achieving it. The organization of the Arab Academy for Adult Education
and Development for the year 2020 (over 8 days during the month of November 2020) under the title
"Addressing the New Adult Learning / Education ... (Post-Corona Crisis)", is one of the tracks that the
Arab House has already implemented; to continue to advocate and support the introduction of renewal
in the Arab region. The special file of this issue of the journal will, in addition to a selected number of
articles and individual professional views of activists in the field of adult education in the Arab world,
address a summary of the courses, results and recommendations of the Arab Academy for Adult
Education and Development 2020.
"Addressing the New Adult Learning / Education ... (Post-Corona Crisis)“
Results and Recommendations of the Arab Academy for Adult Education and Development 2020
The experts who organized, facilitated, led and decided on papers, interventions, and various
working groups, contributed to the drafting of this paper, and they are:
Refat Sabbah Dr. Zahi Azar Jawad Al-Gousous Dr. Ekbal El-Samalouty
Nazaret Nazaretyan Fotouh Younes Mohamed Mediouni Elsy Wakil
Ola Issa Tharwat Gaid Walid Saad Dr. Mithal Al-Ghazzawi
Abdullah Al Naser Al-Sayed Mossad Motasem Zayed Ikhlas Al-Ziyadat
Intisar Abu Ghosh Dr. Loay Assaf Hanaa Fawzi Ghassan Al-Saleh
Malika Ghabbar Rana Sarhan Dr. Raafat Radwan Dr. Ashour Amry
Dr. Ashraf Muharram Dr. Fatima Ayyad
Introduction
The Arab Academy for Adult Education and Development 2020 came in light of the closure
procedures resulting from the Corona pandemic, and with the Arab House’s insistence on organizing
the Academy online, in a new look and methodology, as the Academy came to draw a journey of
learning and exchange of experiences, both in the academic or professional aspect, and to achieve a
sharing of principles and platforms which establish a renewal in the approaches of "adult education",
towards an educational future that meets all dimensions of development, at a time when the number
of adults seeking learning is increasing in various parts of the Arab region. 43 women and men
participated in the Academy from 8 Arab countries (Lebanon - Iraq - Palestine - Jordan - Egypt -
Morocco - Sudan - Somalia). Eight workshops were held that included 30 small working groups, and
the Academy lasted for 26 hours over 8 days.
14There is no doubt that the challenges facing adult learning and education at this time and in the future
in general are great, especially with regard to equality and equity, exclusion of women, discrimination
and marginalization, debts that education pays for, and the crisis of spending on education. All of
these matters are becoming more and more difficult with the impact of the pandemic on adults, and
on the perceptions and relationships of generations to one another. It is undeniable, however, that real
development really needs all expertise, especially those of adults. What is important to us in societal
institutions is the next question of justice. The talk here is about a common vision of the role that
adult learning and education take, we are talking about a social, economic and political role, as an
educational movement that works on social, economic and human liberation in the paths, trends and
approaches of learning.
So, we must seize this opportunity, and relaunch the trend of reviewing and rethinking reality. As for
the word renewal, it is a very important word, so renewal is not a luxury, but rather a necessity if we
re-read this reality. We need to renew the curriculum and the methodology. We should not see
technical education as independent of larger visions. The Arab Academy began planting some of these
seeds despite the difficulty of renewal in the face of thick ideological, economic, intellectual and
cultural walls. Therefore, the Academy must be close to the people and be close to the mentality of
the visionary who practices renewal.
The Academy included the following four axes:
- The first axis: Adult Education "Concept, Innovation and Educational Renewal"
- The second axis: Training Approaches "Concept and Practice"
- The third axis: Adult Education and Civic Education
- The fourth axis: Adult Education and Policies
The following paper describes a summary of the findings and recommendations of the
participants' working groups of experts in the aforementioned axes; in addition to a fifth axis
"Recommendations on Future Visions in the Work of the Arab House and the Arab Academy
for Adult Education and Development".
First Axis: to a behavioral change that allows the
Adult learning and education "concept, continuation and survival of life for society and
educational innovation and renewal" the individual.
A theoretical framework: The concepts of As for radical education, it has a long history and
liberal learning go back to the Greek sciences, ancient roots, but it has recently risen to raise
and they believe that the mind acquires a better awareness, spread political awareness and take
meaning and sense with age. It is a knowledge- initiative to act. Paulo Freire has adopted this
based learning that develops the aesthetic, ethical type of education and appeared in his book
and idealism of the individual. In progressive "Educating the Oppressed" stressing the
philosophy, progressive education focuses on the importance of dialogue and that the teacher
relationship between education, society and the should be a coordinator, as well as exchanging
learner. Learning is for professional and practical views and the learners' positivity, and that
life. In behavioral philosophy, there is an educational experiences should be linked to the
emphasis on planning the environment that leads realities of the learners‘ lives and the problems
15they face. According to Freire, human beings and solve societal problems, but rather represents
know that they know, and they know that they a goal in itself and has a fundamental value, and
can change their states and environments. As long this trend is called the growth of the mind.
as individuals are able to do so, they are doers.
Paulo Freire linked illiteracy with oppression and 2- The second trend: It revolves around the
called it a culture of silence. Freire emphasizes subjectivity of the adult learner, that is, his
that the source of these cultures is ignorance or personality in all its aspects on the basis that it is
education, and the poor citizen lives a culture of balanced, and depends on the idea that man is by
silence if he is unaware of the real circumstances nature good, and the more this goodness grows in
of his poverty. Accordingly, poor people are the personality of the adult through education,
absorbed into the social system that generates the more it helps him to be freer and more aware
poverty from compulsive education. Freire of his personality and directing his self. This
believes that traditional education is a banking trend is called adult's self-fulfillment.
education in which the learner receives, records
and stores assets, and this education violates the 3- The third trend: Its supporters believe that
learners' freedom and autonomy. He proposes a the goal of adult education is a social
liberating, conversational education that poses transformation, meaning that changing society is
problems, making learners aware of the real seen as a basic axis of adult education, and this
situation in which they live and the possible trend is revolutionary that calls for adult
solutions to their reality. He adds to this that education to achieve a change in the social
indigenous education is a political act, as there is system and replace it with other new systems.
no neutral education, so education is either
domestication or liberation. 4- The fourth trend: This is a compromise trend
that revolves around the idea that the adult
There are foundations for education for Paulo learner is a member of society and there are
Freire: reciprocal relationships between them, and
1. Belief in the value of mankind and therefore the goal of adult education is to serve
his ability to change his condition and the world both the individual and the society in which he
in which he lives. lives and that great personal growth can only be
2. Considering knowledge as a achieved in a social milieu, and this trend is
process of search and investigation, not called personal and social improvement.
memorization and indoctrination.
3. Learning is not rigid or physically 5- The fifth trend: Its supporters believe that the
fixed, but rather renewed and evolved given the goal of adult education should achieve the
world as a variable. service of the productive institution in which the
4. The importance of awareness and adult works, on the basis that this adult
criticism as an entry point for education, represents the main element in the production
understanding and changing the world. process within the institution or society, and the
goal of this trend is purely economic; because it
There are multiple trends in adult education: mainly focuses on increasing the material
production of the institution and his education
1- The first trend: Its supporters believe that the increases his production.
goal of adult education is to acquire knowledge to
form the structure of the mind and its growth, and From the above, it is clear that the fourth trend,
that knowledge is not a means to achieve goals which is considered a compromise trend, combines
16the second trend, which relates to the subjectivity trend is the most compatible and appropriate to
of the adult learner and the development of his the nature of Arab societies and their value
personality in all its aspects, and the third trend, system derived from the divine laws that invite
which looks at changing society as a fundamental the individual to seek knowledge throughout his
focus of adult education. Accordingly, the fourth life for the benefit of others.
Adult Education Concepts:
1. The broad concept: it means adult education processes that are used by adults to develop
themselves, whether on their own or by others, and it is also used by all kinds of institutions to
develop and promote their workers, their members, and those who join these institutions, so it is
the educational process.
2. The technical concept of adult education: It describes a set of activities organized by many
institutions to achieve specific educational goals.
3. The third meaning: It contains all the processes and activities related to social mobility.
Definition of the United Nations Organization: In Definition of the United States of America: Adult
1960s, the United Nations Educational, Scientific education means all educational activities
and Cultural Organization UNESCO, defined undertaken by adults after the twelve years
adult education as: the sum of educational provided by general education. That is why adult
experiences and influences to which an adult is education in the United States is viewed as the
subject, and this includes formal lessons in any fourth educational level, which is distinguished
subject, private educational work in clubs and from the first (primary), second (secondary), and
institutions, as well as direct or indirect effects of third (university) education levels.
mass media. It also includes independent
education, technical and vocational education, Definition of Britain: Adult education means all
etc. in developed countries, community types of non-professional education, which are
development, literacy, and health. provided to individuals over the age of eighteen
(18 years old), and provided by the responsible
The Fifth International Conference on Adult authorities under the supervision of the
Education in 1997: The Fifth International educational authority. It includes cultural and
Conference on Adult Education, held in recreational fields, and it also means lifelong
Hamburg, Germany in 1997, defined it as: the education.
sum of educational processes that take place in
formal or other ways, thanks to which adults of Definition of the Arab world: As for in the Arab
the community develop their abilities, enrich world, and in developing countries in general,
their knowledge, and improve their technical or the concept of adult education is considered a
professional qualifications or take a new path relatively recent concept, as it dates back to the
with them that can meet their needs and the needs sixties of the last century only, and it is still
of their community. Adult education includes vague and undefined, and its meaning differs
formal education and continuing education, as from one country to another, and even within the
well as non-formal education and all forms of same country from one era to another. There are
informal and spontaneous education available in also those who use it, in its comprehensive and
a multicultural community where theoretical broad sense, to include the cultural, social and
approaches and practicality-based approaches political literacy of individuals, as well as
have been recognized. reading and writing literacy, and there are those
17who limit it to the latter meaning only. Adult and experiences, to the extent that raises their
education in Arab societies generally means social and economic level, and allows them to
providing the opportunity for adults who have participate effectively in the development and
completed the basic stage (the literacy stage) to advancement of their society, within the
obtain their educational and cultural needs, in framework of the philosophy of continuing
order to enable them to develop their capabilities education.
Educational Renewal - Concept and • The first stage: is considered a stage of
Conditions for Achievement: training and experimentation. On the one
Main definitions of renewal in education are hand, it allows gaining a better
inspired by Haberman’s definition, which he understanding of the way in which
defines as follows: “Renewal is an intentional, learning is accomplished, and on the other
measurable improvement that is permanent and hand, exploration, planning and
does not happen frequently. It is a process experimentation of educational strategies
aimed at localizing, accepting and using a better adapted to the learning process.
certain change, which must be sustainable and
widely used, and not lose its initial • The second stage: is characterized by the
characteristics.” Moreover, "educational consolidation of educational and teaching
renewal or renewal in the field of education is a (didactic) and organizational knowledge
deliberate process of transforming practices and skills. It enables the deepening and
through the introduction of new curricular, expansion of theoretical knowledge, as
educational or organizational matters that are well as the application during planning and
published and are aimed at the continuous activation of a harmonious set of
development of the educational success of pedagogical strategies. During this stage,
learners.“ the various actors begin to critically
consider the pedagogical kit and the
Renewal results from an intentional act through various tools used.
the accomplishment of actions aimed at
changing a certain element (status, situation, • The final stage: during which the actors
practice, methods ...) based on a diagnosis of are able to take a distance from their
imbalance, inadequacy or dissatisfaction with practices, to analyze those practices with a
the intended objectives, outcomes, or business degree of independence, as well as to
relationships. Renewal usually takes place judge the value of the tools they use, adapt
within social or institutional frameworks, and it them, as well as build others that are
is these frameworks that allow it to continue compatible with the approach they prefer
and develop. to work with in the field of education and
management of learning.
Localization of renewal and transfer of
expertise: Educational renewal requires an Research as a means of introducing
important period of time to become a reality in educational innovations: Research, especially
educational practice, and we can talk about the interventionist or procedural one, is one
three stages to stabilize educational renewal of the most important mechanisms for
and ensure its continuity: integrating innovation initiatives into the
educational system, as it allows for the
18possibility of starting a study of reality and respect for the needs of those concerned with
accountability for practices in light of change and the context of the development of
emerging theories and approaches, and in full educational practices.
Some of the most important guidelines for educational renewal in the field of adult
education:
• Education to respect the viewpoints and enable learners to build a developed, changing point of
view that is not bounded or definitive, because everything in our life is prone to development and
change.
• The ability to work together.
• That the renewal initiatives allow building the capabilities and skills of discovery, starting from self-
discovery to discovering the various components of the local and global natural and social
environment in a direction that serves creativity, participation, responsibility and engagement in the
nation's current causes.
• Educational renewal is an enlightening and liberating act, as without this dimension, renewal loses
its original meaning.
• The real confrontation with the commodification that education is exposed to under the banner of
educational renewal.
The most important founding elements of contribute to supporting the renewal in
renewal in dealing with the concept of communities.
adult education and what makes them • Mobilizing domestic resources to back and
acquire a renewal character: support educational renewal, and activating the
role of civil society organizations and the private
Within the work of the small groups of experts, sector with governments; so that the various
the participants in the Academy reached the bodies can be effective and influential in the
following regarding the elements required to implementation of adult education programs.
achieve or initiate the renewal process: • Involving women and young people in the adult
education process, economic, individual and
social empowerment, demanding gender equality
• Renewed link with reality in line with the and enacting legislation that brings social justice,
emergent variables, opening up to new and focusing on the role of adult learning and
educational methods in adult education, preparing education in achieving justice and democracy.
an alternative plan for education in line with the • Work to support and enable the development of
urgent changes. all workers in the educational system because
• The technology component, especially in light they are key and influential participants.
of the challenges of COVID-19, and openness to • Evaluation needs new mechanisms to achieve
languages, which helps in renewal. positive results in the development of adult
• Adopting interactive approaches based on education programs.
dialogue and discussion, activating the existing • Emphasis on conducting more studies and
Arab networks interested in education, and research on the development of adult education
creating the educational environment for in terms of methods, mechanisms, creativity,
educational renewal and making the participants activity and training.
19The most important obstacles to • Lack of follow-up, evaluation and impact
educational renewal: testing mechanisms.
• The absence of a unified Arab concept and a
In the field of education in general, and because common Arab vision towards the development
education is not necessarily neutral, and because of the concept of adult learning and education.
the influence on its paths and directions is subject • Poor civil society participation with the
to the power relationship that frames the political official authorities.
struggle between the various formations, a kind • Lack of coordination and joint efforts in
of resistance to change and renewal is formed support, training and formation of adult
that does not facilitate renewal initiatives. learning and education coordinators.
• Poverty and the deteriorating economic,
Building on five papers presented by expert political and social situation in the Arab
participants on the challenges and trends of adult region.
learning and education in Jordan, Egypt, Iraq and • Poor exchange of experiences and initiatives
Morocco, the working groups reached the most at the level of the Arab region
important challenges facing the renewal in adult • The fragility of the link between formal and
education in the Arab region: non-formal education
• Weak technology infrastructure, which
weakens the use of technology-based adult
• Poor possession of unified concepts of adult education programs
education by institutions operating in the field • The absence of justice, widespread of
• Poor budgets and funding for adult education marginalization, and the absence of equal
programs opportunities of access to education for
• Weak databases on adults, their needs, certain groups such as women, persons with
attitudes, and aspirations. disabilities, minorities, and the poor.
Second Axis: Training Approaches "Concept and Practice"
The training we want for the future we want: In looking at approaches to training and renewal, it is
necessary to talk about a very legitimate initial question: Who renews what? In light of the
aforementioned challenges, which usually result from the transition from the conceptual space to the
practice space, and even as well at the level of impact. In its second axis, the Academy dealt with a
look at the concept of training in the field of adult learning and education, the awareness of
coordinators of their roles, and the renewal of concepts related to training in the field of adult learning
and education, and the distinction between them.
Training in the field of adult learning and education seeks to the comprehensive development of
individuals, to the trainees ’awareness of the reality in which they live, and to understand the
obstacles and problems they face in the surroundings of their lives, in addition to directing knowledge
and information at work and using them in solving problems and change.
When talking about renewal, we must talk about the training we want for the future we want. The
future we want and aspire to is the birth of renaissance development societies that liberate the human
being, punctuated by the constant pursuit of change, development and creativity. So, the training that
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