United NationsEducational, Scientific and

Cultural Organization

© UNESCO/Isamabad

© UNESCO/D. M. Shibly

COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTRES:ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONAL CONFERENCE REPORT 2012

Japan Funds-in-Trust

COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTRES: ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONAL CONFERENCE REPORT 2012

Published by UNESCO Bangkok

Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education

Mom Luang Pin Malakul Centenary Building

920 Sukhumvit Road, Prakanong, Klongtoey

Bangkok 10110, Thailand

© UNESCO 2013

All rights reserved

The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not

imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status

of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers

or boundaries.

Copy editor: Clive Wing

Design/Layout: Sirisak Chaiyasook

Photo: © UNESCO/S. Chaiyasook and © UNESCO/APPEAL

TH/DOC/APL/13/OS/004-E

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. . . . . . . . . . . . .1

1. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31.1 Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

1.2 Objectives of the Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2. SUMMARY OF PRESENTATIONS AND

DISCUSSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2.2 Literacy and Advocacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

2.3 Successful and Innovative Examples of Literacy Programmes 6

2.4 Functional Literacy, Digital Literacy and Advocacy . . . . 7

2.5 Social and Community Design . . . . . . . . . . . 8

2.6 Social Entrepreneurship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

2.7 Vocational Training for Poverty Reduction . . . . . . . 10

2.8 Connected People/Cloud Funding . . . . . . . . . . 11

2.9 Emerging Content of Life Skills Programmes . . . . . . 12

2.10 The Reality and Roles of Successful CLC Managers . . . . 14

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This Report on the Regional Conference on Community Learning Centres held

from 26 to 28 September 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand, has been compiled by

UNESCO Bangkok. This summary of proceedings is based on the presentations,

discussions and reflections of participants, speakers and resource persons.

Special thanks go to: the Government of Japan for its financial support for

the conference and its participation; the presence of the Thailand National

Commission for UNESCO and the Office of the Non-Formal and Informal

Education (ONIE), Ministry of Education, Thailand; active participation of the

country teams and the representatives from ARTC member institutions for

their contributions before and during the conference; and to the session

facilitators, the presenters and the UNESCO team for their contributions.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The outcome of the discussions during the 2012 conference can be

summarized as follows:

CLCs must be just that: Community-focused, learning-opportunity

providers and centres for lifelong learning. The need to effectively reach

female learners for the purpose of poverty reduction also emerged as a clear

theme. Another cross-cutting point that appeared during the conference

discussions was the excitement and caution surrounding the increased

use of mobile technology for the delivery of CLC education programmes.

The need to address the sustainability of CLCs and measure their success

became clear too, along with the potential of public-private partnerships

and social enterprises to rejuvenate the efforts of CLCs in the Asia-Pacific

Region.

1. Learning Remains the Central Focus of CLCs

Whilst many CLCs are aiming to become self-sustaining social enterprises,

the core business of most of them remains promoting and providing

classes in literacy. Literacy forms the basic building blocks for community

development, especially for women. Women can be empowered to join

the income-generating segment of the population by way of financial

literacy programmes. In order to ensure CLCs are operating to their full

potential and are sustainable, it is necessary to consistently review, in a

standardized manner, their strategies and actions. Also, to ensure that

teaching is as effective as possible, especially when considering the needs

of newly literate adults and subsistence-based communities, instructional

innovation, including the use of e-learning and m-learning, as well as

assessment innovation, may be required.

2. CLCs as Community Hubs and Leaders of Lifelong Learning

CLCs hold a unique advocacy and service delivery position as state and

institutional liaisons and centres of their local communities. This allows

them to constantly innovate and seek new collaboration with universities,

NGOs, the private sector and others. Continuous innovation is a natural

result of the shifting position of CLCs and should be leveraged to create

further lifelong learning opportunities for all community members, as is

already happening in some countries in the region. CLCs may also wish to

demonstrate the economic cost of illiteracy when advocating for further

resources on behalf of their communities.

3. The Role of CLCs in Improving Female Literacy Rates and Reducing Poverty, Especially Amongst Women and Girls

A significant gap between male and female literacy rates is seen in many

countries of the Asia-Pacific region, a fact which many understand as

a limiting factor in the development of those nations. As such, CLCs are

uniquely placed to identify the needs of female learners, provide women

with motivation to learn and tailor literacy packages to suit their needs.

This can be incredibly successful in reducing poverty and should remain a

key focus as attempts are made to reach the 2015 targets of education for

all, EFA.

4. ICT Innovations to Enhance the Impact of CLC Programmes

It emerged that amongst Asia-Pacific CLCs in attendance at the conference,

technology is and should be taken as a facilitating tool rather than as

a purpose in and of itself. One of the most important aspects is to blend

technology with traditional approaches. Whilst the potential of e-learning

and m-learning models to scale-up projects was acknowledged, the

real need to prevent an over-reliance on such technologies was equally

highlighted. So too was the need for online security training. However,

the potential of mobile devices to expand learners’ horizons and provide

additional motivation is a definite bonus.

5. Community Focus is the Essential Strength of CLCs

The ability of CLCs to be responsive to the needs of the communities in

which they are based is a real asset. Of particular significance is their ability

to provide local leadership and operate in a strengths-based manner,

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delivering programmes in local languages and the mother tongues of

learners. The multipurpose nature of CLCs is also important as indicated in

the Belem Framework1 of 2009, especially in communities for whom literacy

is just one of many basic needs. It is also from communities that the future

vision for each CLC must come if they are to become centres for lifelong

learning.

6. Sustainability and Measuring the Success of CLCs

In order for CLCs to remain sustainable they must constantly respond to

emerging trends in content provision that reflect the needs of communities,

look at becoming financially self-sustaining, ensure excellent community

management, and secure useable data in the form of tangible results,

consistently measured.

1 The Belém Framework for Action, the final document of the Sixth International

Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI) which was adopted on 4 December

2009.

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

The Community Learning Centre (CLC) Project was launched in 1998 within

the framework of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Programme of Education for

All (APPEAL). The purpose of a CLC is to promote human development

by providing opportunities for lifelong learning to all people in the local

community. CLCs support empowerment, social transformation and

improvement of the quality of life of the people. The main functions of

CLCs are to provide: (a) education and training; (b) community information

and resource services; (c) community development activities; and

(d) co-ordination and networking.

There are various types of community learning centres and terms used to

describe them in Asia and Pacific countries. Some CLCs are supported by

governments, some by NGOs and donors, while others are fully owned

and managed by communities. There are also adult/youth literacy centres

which were designed after CLC concepts and approaches and which

function like CLCs. Today, CLC programmes are operating in more than 24

countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region as well as 10 countries in the

Arabic speaking world. The number of CLCs and similar NFE/literacy centres

is estimated to be more than 170,000 in Asia and the Pacific (UNESCO

Bangkok, 2008).

Because of the rapid expansion of CLCs in some countries in the region

it has been difficult to maintain high standards. Expansion of CLCs has

sacrificed the quality of programme delivery. Inadequate technical support,

poor infrastructure, lack of resource materials, lack of space for discussions

and lack of capable human resources are the main reasons for poor

performance. A set of standards and a system for quality assurance needs to

be developed. Decentralization of the delivery methods and management

of CLCs have also been important issues.

It is imperative that CLCs should address the skills needed in the twenty-

first century. However, there is a great variation in the range of services

offered through these non-formal and community-based mechanisms for

the delivery of education and skills training programmes such as literacy,

post-literacy, income generating skills, life skills and vocational skills. Also, in

responding to the needs of various countries, issues like mother language

literacy, conflict resolution and prevention, and peace-building can be

covered by the CLCs. Training in the use of information and communication

technology (ICT) which broadens the horizons of education beyond the

classroom into the community and makes learning individualized as well

as self-directed, should also form part of the various curricula employed in

these centres.

It is also important to enhance regional collaboration and co-ordination

in order to operate CLCs effectively and efficiently. The APPEAL Regional

Training Consortium (ARTC) comprises 13 technical institutions in 13

countries in Asia and the Pacific. ARTC is tasked to co-ordinate governments,

NGOs, universities, donors and the private sector for the promotion of

lifelong learning and NFE through CLCs.

Changing the notion of “literacy” from simply reading and writing skills to

the continuum of learning for life skills and lifelong learning demands a new

method of measuring literacy. Implementation of literacy assessment will

help countries to better understand the literacy skills of their populations.

The results, comparable across countries, will also help to design appropriate

programmes to be delivered through CLCs based on learners’ literacy levels.

1.2 Objectives of the Conference

Inform innovative approaches and exchange experiences regarding three

key topics:

1. Efficient literacy programmes,

2. New emerging content of life skills programmes, and

3. Innovations to reduce poverty by way of lifelong learning through CLCs.

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2. SUMMARY OF PRESENTATIONS AND

DISCUSSIONS

2.1 Introduction

Ms. Churairat Sangboonum, the Secretary General of the Thailand National Commission for UNESCO opened the conference, reflecting on

the twenty years which have passed since the first world conference on

Education for All, held in Thailand in 1990. Thailand’s Office of Non-formal

and Informal Education (ONIE) has had continued success in running CLC

programmes with a focus on literacy, though many other topics have

been covered since, including education for sustainable development and

disaster risk reduction. This was particularly useful during the severe flooding

Thailand faced last year. CLCs in flood-affected areas have been able to

bounce back with the help of UNESCO Bangkok and the Government of

Japan, to whom Ms. Churairat expressed her sincere gratitude.

Mr. Koji Tawara, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan highlighted the regional

trend towards urbanization and gave a brief description of the more than

15,000 CLCs in Japan, used for festivals and gatherings, as well as disaster

relief. He emphasized the importance of CLCs in encouraging literacy by

providing public spaces to read books and expand learning. He expressed

his gratitude to all participants for the work that they do and encouraged

them to take this rare opportunity to share best practices from around the

region and return with new ideas for their own communities.

In his welcome address, Mr. Gwang-Jo Kim, Director, UNESCO Bangkok thanked the Governments of Thailand and Japan for their long-standing

partnerships with UNESCO in supporting CLCs. He commended the work

of CLCs in gaining greater recognition over the years, especially for the

betterment of disadvantaged community members. Mr. Kim acknowledged

the challenges currently facing CLCs and encouraged participants to grasp

the opportunity to discuss innovative programmes and focus on adapting

their CLCs to become lifelong learning centres.

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He encouraged participants to think about a few key questions, including:

1. How can we advocate better for literacy and lifelong learning?

2. How can the potential of new technologies be harnessed?

In closing, Mr. Kim mentioned the recent launch of the Education First

Initiative by the Secretary General of the United Nations Mr. Ban Ki Moon,

which is to be led by Ms. Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO. He urged

participants, especially those from the two Initiative Support Countries

located in the Asia-Pacific Region, China and Bangladesh, to make the

most of the opportunities this presents for bolstering the strength of CLC

programmes especially those with a focus on literacy.

Mr. Ichiro Miyazawa, Programme Specialist, UNESCO Bangkok reiterated

the conference objectives and underscored the need for the three day

conference to be regarded as a creative space. He pointed out that issues

and interventions in education and literacy development have been very

similar for the last 50 years. Mr. Miyazawa suggested formulating new

innovations which might transform the ineffective patterns of programme

delivery trialled over the last half-century to better meet the demands

posed by current trends such as globalization, rapid urbanization, aging

populations, environmental degradation and the need for energy efficiency.

Dr. Venkata Subbarao Ilapavuluri, Chief of the Literacy and Non-Formal Education Section, UNESCO Paris, then examined some of the problems

and challenges faced by CLCs between the year 1990 and the present day

and analyzed promising pathways for the future development of CLCs in

terms of what needs to be done next. There has been much improvement

in literacy rates across the Asia-Pacific region since 1990. While eighty four

per cent of the world’s population and sixty-three per cent of the region’s

population is literate today, the global illiterate population is approximately

775 million people of which nearly 500 million are in the Asia-Pacific region.

Women’s literacy in the region emerged as a particularly important issue

as there is still a significant gap between male and female literacy rates in

many countries. Drawing upon the recent Paris Communiqué on scaling up

literacy adopted by over forty countries that have high literacy challenges

when they met for the High Level International Round Table on Literacy,

Dr. Subbarao linked the CLC movement to the larger mission of reaching

the EFA Dakar goals. He emphasized the critical role of CLCs as institutional

hubs for creating a new momentum for scaled-up literacy efforts in the

region and beyond. What is required can be described as conceptualization,

contextualization, institutionalization, coordinated decentralization and

collaboration. There is potential for further innovation in the running of

CLCs including systemic innovation, instructional innovation, assessment

innovation and ICT innovation. Dr. Subbarao emphasized that CLCs allow

for informal learning and flexible learning pathways which can take place

in a variety of venues. Therefore, as stated in the Belem Framework (2009)

the multi-purpose nature of CLCs is one of their key features. CLCs are

about connecting learners with learning opportunities. This happens most

effectively when there is successful role definition: the themes and courses

offered come from a continuous dialogue with the people; experts offer

advice; the state provides a policy framework, equivalency system and initial

funding; CLCs coordinate implementation and offer relevant programmes;

and communities take ownership, manage the centres and implement

the learning programmes. Mr. Subbarao also reminded us that the

Asia-Pacific region is not a homogenous whole though we tend to talk

about it as such at conferences. Perhaps we need to disaggregate literacy

data and focus on hard-to-reach areas and learners. We should build a

learning community of practice and continuously strive to learn through

networking and partnerships.

2.2 Literacy and Advocacy

The first presentation was made by Dr. Helen Abadzi, Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Washington DC, an education psychologist who

uses state of the art learning research to improve the learning outcomes of

low-income adults and children. Her PowerPoint presentation focused on

the challenges and difficulties in using the most appropriate pedagogies

and language in teaching adults in rural contexts, especially those in

low-income countries who are reliant on their local CLCs. She used

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examples from several countries, including Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Cuba and

Bangladesh to enrich her presentation. Based on her long years of research

and practice, Dr. Abadzi emphasized that traditional philosophical positions

about literacy do not take into account the need for speed and accuracy in

reading and the need for newly literate adults in particular, to practice these

very low-level variables. To make progress in adult literacy and to obtain

more financing, better outcomes are needed. These can only come about

by dealing extensively with these low level issues.

Dr. Donald Green, the World Literacy Foundation (WLF) presented

a report entitled The Economic and Social Cost of Illiteracy. The study is

intended to communicate the economic cost of illiteracy to individuals and

subsequently to nations. Furthermore, it is intended to communicate that in

the current environment of globalization, additional investment in successful

literacy campaigns will bring a return on investment and enhanced global

competitiveness to the participating country. Using the study as the basis

for further analysis, the WLF would work with any country willing to develop

an enhanced formula to capture the nation-specific return on investment

of enhanced literacy. This economic formula should be simple or general

enough to be applied across most countries while specific and nuanced

enough to show the multiplicative effect of increased reading, numeracy

and technology skills in the economy’s growth. The expectation is that this

tactic will be more successful as an advocacy tool when presented to prime

ministers and financial ministers than simply providing education budgets

and anecdotes of success.

2.3 Successful and Innovative Examples of

Literacy Programmes

Dr. M. Hasbi, Head of Center for Early Childhood, Non-formal and Informal Education, Ministry of Education and Culture, Indonesia,

made the first presentation in this session. The Directorate of Community

Education Development programme which he is involved was a winner

of the UNESCO King Sejong Prize for Literacy, 2012. He emphasized

the importance of community-level uptake of national directives for

improving literacy nationwide following the decentralisation processes

in the education system of Indonesia. The government’s original desire

to produce a more highly skilled and competent workforce that would

survive in a globalised world has translated into literacy programmes

which are also seen as an anti-poverty strategy. The government’s other

aim is to turn individuals into self-reliant and productive citizens through

entrepreneurship literacy. Innovative approaches taken in Indonesia at

the community level have included family literacy, folklore literacy and

use of mother tongue as the medium of delivery. To sustain the skills of

neo-literates, learning environments have been enhanced. The programmes

include ICT-based Community Learning Gardens in accessible public places

such as shopping malls. Improving the quality of the literacy programme

has been undertaken through a comprehensive tutor training programme.

The second presentation on behalf of Mr. Tshering Tobgay, Sr. Programme

Officer, DAHE, MoE, Bhutan, was given by Mr. Rinchen Gyeltshen, ADEO, Dagana District of Bhutan who presented a country report on Non-Formal

and Continuing Education Programme in Bhutan which was the recipient

of the 2009 and 2012 UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy. During his

presentation Mr. Gyeltshen highlighted non-formal education, Community

Learning Centres and continuing education, describing the levels of the

programme, target groups, policies, equivalency programme, strategies for

literacy achievement programme, medium of communication, advocacy

and awareness programme, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms,

mobilization of resources, sources of funds, benefits of the programme and

challenges during its implementation. The Bhutanese participants revealed

that despite the challenges posed by rugged terrain and uncertain funding,

literacy is promoted as a fundamental human right and the foundation of

lifelong learning in Bhutan. It is also thought of as a key aspect of gross

national happiness.

Mr. A.M. Rajashekar, Joint Director of the Directorate of Adult Education, Department of School Education and Literacy for the Government of India presented the work of his directorate with an emphasis on successful

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teacher training, local language materials and instruction. Mr. Rajashekar also

contributed information about the development of Adult Education Centres

as “nerve” centres for other learning opportunities beyond simple literacy.

Innovative approaches in these centres have focussed on interconnecting

these hubs via satellite. In addition, Mr. Rajashekar presented the use of

“digital cinema theatres”. Public-private partnerships are entered into in

order to equip the centres, an innovation which provides sustainability.

All three programmes emphasize the gender equality dimension and

address women’s literacy and skills gaps. Indonesia focuses on women as

recipients of its entrepreneurship programmes which follow basic literacy

classes at CLCs. Bhutan’s Non-formal and Continuing Education Programme

has trained approximately 70 per cent of female learners. The Sakshar Barat

programme (Literate India) in India aims for 88 per cent female participation.

During the discussion, participants asked questions about the interaction

between government and NGOs regarding literacy action, including

co-ordination mechanisms and compatibility of accreditation between

CLCs and national institutes. They also enquired how to motivate learners

living in subsistence conditions to increase their literacy. The presenters

replied that fulfilling the literacy requirements of learners for daily life was

paramount and that many community support systems, such as intra-

family education rosters as well as clear progress ladders, help to facilitate

motivation and learning. With regards to NGO-government relations,

they consider that co-ordination of agencies is an ongoing process, with

increasing trust and open-mindedness on the part of governments towards

NGOs and CLCs with proven value.

2.4 Functional Literacy, Digital Literacy and

Advocacy

There were two presenters on this topic – Mr. Ichiro Miyazawa, Programme Specialist from UNESCO Bangkok and Mr. Kiichi Oyasu, Programme Specialist (Officer in Charge) from UNESCO Dhaka. Mr. Miyazawa shared

five innovative literacy programmes from different countries, while Mr.

Oyasu shared the experience of literacy assessment in Bangladesh.

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The selected innovative programmes from India, Pakistan, Kenya/Ghana,

Afghanistan and the UK demonstrate diversity in approaches for delivery

of literacy programmes. In all cases, it is evident that the young adult

participants in the programmes absorbed the content quickly due to

attractive programme delivery strategies. Use of subtitles on popular TV

programmes and engaging celebrities to communicate messages (Kenya)

proved useful approaches to keep participants engaged in learning.

Similarly, the use of technology (mobile phones, e-books) to facilitate the

learning process proved effective for learning achievement. The key lesson

though, was that technology should be taken as a facilitating tool rather

than as a means in itself. The flexible timing allowed by these delivery

methods, in contrast to traditional fixed-hour adult literacy classes, proved

effective whilst the literacy content remained much the same.

The comparative analysis of test-based literacy surveys and self-declaration

based literacy surveys gives a conclusive finding. To assess the actual

improvement of literacy rates in a country there is no better alternative

than administering tests. Although this can be a time-consuming and

expensive exercise, it can be made cost-effective through the application of

appropriate methodologies. Bangladesh’s experience of three consecutive

surveys using the same methodology (although the three surveys were

conducted by three different organizations) gave consistent results of

the literacy scenario of the country; whereas data inconsistency was seen

when the literacy survey was based on self-declaration by the people.

Categorization of people undertaking the survey according to their gender

and level of literacy also leads to the ability to usefully disaggregate data,

which in turn has significant programmatic implications for designing need-

based continuing education activities through CLCs, for example, enabling

adult learners of different levels to join and learn together.

2.5 Social and Community Design

Two cases were shared as examples of social entrepreneurial activity.

Mr. Mechai Viravaidya, Mechai Foundation, in his lifelong endeavours

to reduce birthrates, HIV/AIDS, poverty and ignorance, introduced the

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Bamboo School. In its fourth year of existence, this private school for low-

income rural children substitutes school fees for a 400-hour community-

service commitment by the parents of pupils. Students are also introduced

to the concepts of personal and civic responsibility through project-based

learning. All activities and school management – from purchasing to teacher

recruitment – are conducted under the creative principle “think outside the

box”. Income generation and capacity building not only for students but for

teachers, families and institutions (temples, hospital, government schools

and others) are all essential activities of the Bamboo School. In this way,

the school becomes, according to Mr. Mechai’s design, a centre for lifelong

learning, community development and community capacity building.

Ashoka, presented by Ms. Sinee Chakthranont, Country Director, Ashoka Thailand, is an organization for social entrepreneurship operating in over

70 countries, supporting individuals and groups to become change agents

by way of providing funding for them to address urgent societal needs.

Examples include such innovating projects as Childline, Roots of Empathy,

Dialogue in the Dark, Teach for America, Teach First, Hospital OS, Pensook

Clinique and many others. Ms. Chakthranont described Ashoka’s strong

monitoring schemes which track participants for up to ten years after the

funding has been received. This monitoring has found that those supported

through Ashoka funding are persistent in their original mission and effective

in instigating policy change, programme adaption and replication.

2.6 Social Entrepreneurship

Ms. Tracey Webster, from the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship, South Africa, introduced participants to the exciting economic and

literacy development work of her organization in South Africa. The Branson

Centre of Entrepreneurship is a non-profit community project funded

by Virgin Unite, the foundation of the Virgin Group which believes in the

power of entrepreneurs to create jobs. The Branson Centre supports local

entrepreneurs through practical business skills training, mentorship and

access to networks at no cost to the entrepreneur. Baseline indicators and a

quarterly assessment track the entrepreneurs’ progress across the following

growth pillars: financial, customer, community, internal processes, learning

and growth. Ms. Webster mentioned the upcoming challenges faced by the

centre, particularly the need to become self-sustaining in the near future.

Mr. Isura Silva, Managing Director, Sarvodaya Fusion, Sri Lanka

believes that it is very important for all CLCs around the world to be social

entrepreneurs. It has now become a must, Mr. Silva pointed out, because

of the rapid penetration of mobile and smart devices as well as changes

in community aspirations and those of donor partners. Mr. Silva’s project

Sarvodaya – Fusion aims to satisfy two bottom lines: social and economic. It

satisfies a social bottom line through ICT skills capacity building, providing

access to computers and smart phones/devices through CLCs and other

viable community models. An economic bottom line is met through

providing financial sustainability for community partners.

Sarvodaya – Fusion is a leading ICT4D (non-profit) social enterprise in

Sri Lanka, with a mission seeking “e-Empowerment of rural communities.”

It is a specialized programme of Sarvodaya, a 54-year-old national charity.

Fusion offers value-added ICT products/services and education to thousands

of children and youth (15-25 years) all across the country, through multi-

stakeholder partnerships. Smart Village is an innovative initiative supporting

communities in rural areas of Sri Lanka to understand how smartphones

can best address their needs. It is hoped that the Smart Village initiative can

be developed into another successful social enterprise.

Some valuable discussion subsequently took place concerning the need to;

Create sustainable and healthy markets for entrepreneurs’ products,

Resolve a gulf of active participation between genders and racial groups,

Provide differentiated programming for diverse people, including

vulnerable groups, and

Overcome the negative impacts of ICT as well as harnessing its remarkable

innovations.

The links between lifelong learning and entrepreneurship emerged clearly

– the way both, when facilitated effectively, enable active citizenship, social

inclusion and employability.

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2.7 Vocational Training for Poverty Reduction

Mrs. Shanti Shova Shakya, Senior Programme Officer, NRC-NFE/Nepal presented examples of vocational and skill development for the purpose

of poverty reduction in Nepal. The main theme of the presentation was

that vocational and skill development along with literacy, through NFE,

will lead to economic empowerment of the community and so to poverty

reduction. Some innovative cases from Nepali CLCs were shared. These

included government sponsored CLC programmes such as Patariya CLC,

with its “self-reliance development for poverty alleviation” activities in

Kapilvastu, targeting women in ethnic minority groups and the Sikharapur

CLC with its “agriculture school” for farmers held in the innovative and

sustainably designed “bottle house”. Among the outcomes of these models

are empowered women/girls, improved literacy levels, improved vocational

skills, access to self-employment opportunities and increased income levels.

Mr. Mana Chanthalanhonh, Coordinator, dvv Lao PDR, shared the

experiences of dvv international whilst running an Adult Literacy and

Poverty Reduction project in Lao PDR. The non-formal education activities

of dvv international in Nong, a low-income district in southern Lao PDR,

were launched in 2010 as a component of the Food Security Project Nong

of the German Agro Action/Welthungerhilfe in co-operation with two

Lao non-profit associations NORMAI and LADCA. The NFE work covers

ten target villages and includes the provision of literacy classes for adults,

basic vocational training, training of facilitators (teachers), provision of

learning and teaching materials and construction of Community Learning

Centres (CLCs). Results of a baseline survey, which was conducted in order

to understand the needs and living conditions of the target group, show

that the most pressing problems faced by villagers are linked to food

insecurity such as rice shortages and animal diseases. The self-reported

adult illiteracy rate is around 77 per cent (97 per cent for women) and many

do not speak the Lao language, only a local language. After two years of NFE

work in Nong, a dvv international assessment illustrates the achievements

(improved numeracy and Lao language skills, increased confidence and

health awareness) and challenges (slow progress in reading and writing

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skills, low attendance and high drop-out rate, exclusion of women). The

findings of the assessment have allowed dvv international to improve the

approach to NFE in the context of the current project and also for future

activities.

Participants subsequently discussed the links between literacy and income

generation, the inclusion of women and scaling-up or duplicating successful

models. The former were considered priority areas for development whereas

the latter concepts should proceed on a case-by-case basis as no model is

perfect nor universally applicable and local community contexts must be

taken into account.

2.8 Connected People/Cloud Funding

Ms. Jacinta Alba and Martina Quirino from Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation Inc (NWTF) presented the possibility of accessing cloud

funding through organizations like Vittana and Kiva. Cloud funding through

such internet-based platforms is a source of funds for CLCs and other

organisations that advocate literacy. The NWTF experience with Kiva and

Vittana shows that it can be a sustainable source of funds and can even

expand the organisation’s reach to people who have not heard about them

or their advocacies. In addition, Kiva and Vittana are able to provide support

to the local partners by way of Kiva fellows, who contribute expertise

and carry out monitoring and evaluation etc., which would otherwise

be prohibitively expensive. These platforms can also be used to increase

awareness of the need for literacy programmes in developing countries.

Mr. Ichiro Miyazawa from UNESCO, Bangkok gave a presentation on the

possibility of using social media, especially Facebook, to share information

on CLC activities, learning/training materials and to generate resources.

Mr. Miyazawa described this system as cloud EMIS which can be created

with minimum cost. He showed the pilot activity with CLCs in Thailand on

Facebook. CLCs are connected horizontally and they are able to exchange

information and ideas very easily. All information from CLCs can be posted

from the bottom up.

Mr. Buhai Simanjuntak, Indonesia CLC Communication Forum Advisor,

stated that based on the Belem global mandate to promote multipurpose

uses of learning spaces, and based on many countries’ experiences in

developing CLCs, the participant countries in the International Seminar on

CLCs held in Makassar, Indonesia, in March 2011 hosted by the Indonesia

CLC Communication Forum, promulgated the Makassar Declaration

that stated the need for an International CLC Association to support and

develop CLCs as a grassroots global movement aimed at achieving quality-

of-life, peace and sustainability. The idea of establishing an association had

already received a positive response from most of the participant countries

at the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference in September 2011 in Bangkok,

Thailand, hosted by UNESCO Bangkok. The participating countries of the

International Seminar on Community Learning Centres in Jakarta, Indonesia,

April 2012, hosted by Indonesia Ministry of Education and Culture, followed

up by drafting The Association Constitution as the framework for running

The Association. It is hoped that an International CLC Association would

strengthen CLC networks in the region. While it was generally welcomed,

the participants suggested that the objectives and role of the proposed

association need to be considered in the context of existing networks like

ASPBAE.

Mr. Abhimanyu Singh, Director, UNESCO, Beijing, highlighted the need

to converge all activities and programmes like community radio and

preservation of biosphere reserves so as to reshape Community Learning

Centres as the hubs of learning and community education.

The facilitator, Dr. Subbarao from UNESCO, Paris, summarised the

discussions and underscored the fact that the CLC can be an efficient,

effective and sustainable institutional base for literacy learning, skills

development and income generating activities and empowerment if there

is a convergence of various programmes. Literacy learning could lead to

empowerment and economic transformation if access to credit can be

combined with imparting entrepreneurship education and employable

skills. Web-based cloud/crowd funding opens up new, interesting

possibilities to make this an important connection. It will be good to look at

activities that generate income for individuals as well as activities that can

make CLCs financially sustainable.

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2.9 Emerging Content of Life Skills Programmes

Ms. Shaheen Attiq-un-Rahman of Bunyad shared that financial literacy is

the most relevant link that rural women in Pakistan have to the financial

sector and thereby the market economy. She outlined the process by which

1,080 rural women, barely literate to begin with, were trained in budgeting,

investment possibilities, access to financial institutions, processes in

obtaining loans, rights and responsibilities of consumers and developing

financial management plans. The impact has been encouraging. Evaluation

results show that 20 per cent of the trainees have opened bank accounts and

have embarked on business ventures. The challenges faced, among others,

include demands to learn more financial management, erratic funding and

the need for scale-up efforts to reach more beneficiaries. In terms of future

development, the project has started to use m-learning approaches at the

post–training/follow-up phase, and more dialogue with line departments

of the government to encourage their buy-in, especially regarding

infusing financial management syllabi into adult education programmes.

Mobile literacy, another success story of Bunyad, was also described as

many participants showed interest in how illiterate rural women could be

brought into the learning field through the instant-messaging capabilities

of mobile phones. With the Literacy Department of the Punjab Government

now taking Non-formal Education and Adult Education to scale in order to

implement Article 25a of the Constitution, making all children aged 5-16

years literate is now achievable.

The discussions during the open forum underscored the importance of

financial literacy to equip female learners with knowledge and confidence

to engage in more entrepreneurial activities. Further, learning modules

need to be user-friendly, like those developed by the State Bank of Pakistan

as its contribution to the project. Because of the enormous number of

learners to be reached, the project uses the cascade approach whereby

master trainers are first trained and they, in turn, conduct the actual training

of the female participants.

Mr. Brian Stott, Head of English Programmes, British Council, Thailand

explained that NFE/IFE English Learning is an important emerging content

of life skills programmes because of the exponentially growing number of

English speakers all over the word, estimated to rise to 2 billion by 2020.

Conversations were conducted during the presentation and the participants,

with inputs from the presenter, discussed English learning institutions’

need for support in developing materials to conduct useful English training

sessions in CLCs. At present, the British Council has standardized learning

materials but is working towards inclusion of context-specific and culturally

sensitive materials. Regular updates of the modules are undertaken in order

to respond to the local needs of learners. While there are learning strategies

that employ m-learning, the needs of learners who have no access to the

Internet are also being attended to by the development of easy-to-use print

modules. Both print and ICT-based strategies are utilized to bring English

courses to those who need them most.

The second session focusing on the emerging content of life skills

programmes highlighted the fact that CLCs seem to have different roles

and different levels of demand across countries with different income levels.

In countries with low income levels, CLCs often house basic literacy classes

but these are of limited use to citizens who are past the needs of literacy.

In high-income countries CLCs seem to become hubs of lifelong learning

for the whole community, which is or perhaps should be, an aspirational

aim for all CLCs.

Ms. Meiko Hara, Okayama City, Japan, presented the case of the Kamayama

CLC. This institution caters to the needs of middle-aged and older citizens.

Being highly educated, they have sophisticated cultural and learning needs.

An important one is to transmit to their grandchildren’s generation skills

like rice farming that are being lost. Ms. Hara explained that CLCs, known in

Japan as “Kominkan” play an important role in drawing out citizens who can

tackle present-day social challenges to create a sustainable world, not only

at the community level but also at the global level, through the processes of

learning, thinking and exchanging ideas with each other, for which a good

relationship between learners and facilitators is essential.

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Ms. Patcharin Aviphan, YMCA Chiang Mai, Thailand, discussed the

activities of the Chiang Mai YMCA pertaining to environmental education

and sustainability awareness among low income communities. In

these circumstances, CLCs are in high demand and provide highly

sophisticated activities. They provide a forum for disseminating

innovative activities and actions to many parts of society. Ms. Aviphan

made the following suggestions for CLCs:

We should consider the balance of economic growth and environment

conservation (economic growth brings destruction of natural

resources);

Instead of just using GNP as an indication of development we should

use Gross National Happiness (GNH) as well;

Global warming and climate change bring natural disasters that hurt

all human beings and affect the environment all over the world; and

We should move towards a Green Society.

CLCs should include environment and climate change issues as well

All sectors have to take action, network and co-operate with each

other to reduce carbon emissions, promote environment and climate

change education, promote eco-friendly lifestyles, green consumption,

reduce waste, have green transportation, healthy ecosystems, green

economic activities and promote alternative energy, such as solar

energy, biogas, biomass and apply all of these at home as well as at

CLCs.

Everybody has to change their mindset and lifestyle to be more eco-

friendly.

Dr. Jinhee Kim, Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI) presented the need to develop multicultural competence as an

emerging skill in lifelong learning to enhance “learning to live together”

in a new multicultural era. The Korean government has institutions and

methodologies specifically aimed at promoting lifelong learning. Dr.

Kim discussed the sophisticated strategies that have been employed

to integrate learners of all ages and cultures into Korean society

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throughout their lives. She emphasized that social engagement between

multiple agencies and empowerment for the underprivileged through

lifelong learning, in both the formal sector and also at the local grassroots

level, are unequivocally significant.

2.10 The Reality and Roles of Successful CLC

Managers

Mr. Ehsanur Rahman, Executive Director, Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) informed participants of the variety of “voices” required of CLC

managers who assume diverse roles and functions in their communities,

especially when working for NGOs. CLC managers find themselves not only

teaching literacy but also mobilizing communities, networking with local

organizations and other community development partners.

Mr. Nattawut of the Sirindhorn Institute for Continuing Education and Development (SICED), Thailand, shared the key role of District and CLC

personnel in Thailand as well as the capacity development process through

needs assessments, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation,

conducted by SICED.

While the DAM case showed the experience of an NGO in Bangladesh and the

SICED case showed the experience of the government, one of the common

features is the wide range of roles and functions of CLC managers. There is

much potential for them to introduce the innovations discussed during this

conference, for example, ICT-assisted programmes. It was suggested in the

Bangladesh and Thailand cases that the support mechanisms of CLCs be

required to update knowledge and skills of CLC managers. The process of

capacity development should be encouraged for individual managers and

objectives should be negotiated based on the needs of those managers

and their particular CLCs. Sustainability of CLCs must be thought of not only

in terms of financial resources but also in regard to programming and the

interests of learners and the communities wherein CLC managers play key

roles.

UNESCO Bangkok

Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education

Mom Luang Pin Malakul Centenary Building

920 Sukhumvit Road, Prakanong, Klongtoey

Bangkok 10110, Thailand

E-mail: appeal.bgk@unesco.org

Website:www.unescobkk.org/education/appeal

Tel: +66-2-3910577 Fax: +66-2-3910866

United NationsEducational, Scientific and

Cultural Organization