Adult and Non-formal Education in the Global Context.

Abstract

Adult and non-formal education is an integral component of poverty reduction, it has the potential of enabling creative and democratic citizenship, giving voice to women and men living in poverty as well as providing tools for improving their lives. The paper examined the concepts of adults using chronological, biological, cultural and historical parameters and as well as adult and non-formal education by different scholars. The paper also explored adult and non-formal education in the global context like the Dakar framework of action, the focus on gender equality, women and problems of HIV/AIDS pandemic and United Nations Literacy Decade amongst others. The paper went ahead and examined some international agencies in adult and non-formal education like UNICEF, UNDP, UNESCO, IZZDVV, amongst others and it is a position paper that finally suggests that developing countries should increase budgetary allocations to adult and non-formal education, there should be effective monitoring and evaluation by agencies in order to ascertain whether the objectives are achieved or not and global advocacy on support in adult and non-formal education should be ensured towards the attainment of Education For All (EFA).

Keywords: Adult and Non-formal education, global, poverty, international agencies.