Recognition, validation and accreditation of basic youth and adult education as a foundation of lifelong learning

In 2015, UNESCO initiated a research project on the recognition, validation and accreditation of the outcomes of non-formal and informal learning within the framework of the SIDA-funded “Rethinking Learning in a Complex World” project. This project, operating within the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aims at transformation by decreasing vulnerability and increasing sustainability … Read more

In 2015, UNESCO initiated a research project on the recognition, validation and accreditation of the outcomes of non-formal and informal learning within the framework of the SIDA-funded “Rethinking Learning in a Complex World” project. This project, operating within the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aims at transformation by decreasing vulnerability and increasing sustainability through 17 aspirational goals. Learning is at the core of this and the development of a new vision for education as a fundamental human right. To make learning and education more inclusive for disadvantaged people, related strategies, processes and mechanisms need to be analysed to draw conclusions from successful experiences and to identify what needs to be improved or put in place.

This project proposes to examine the way in which youth and adult literacy and basic education may be better integrated into national recognition, validation and accreditation frameworks, systems and mechanisms. The aim is to enable disadvantaged young people and adults to obtain recognised qualifications starting from the lowest levels through sensitive policies, operational systems and supportive mechanisms.