At the invitation of DVV International, an eleven-member delegation from Jordan travelled to North Rhine-Westphalia from 12 to 17 May 2024 to gain insights into the recently completed reforms of the continuing education law as well as to understand the tasks and structures guiding the coordination among the various adult education stakeholders.
Developing and implementing a national adult education strategy is no easy task, especially when the collaboration involves stakeholders from different sectors. With the support of DVV International, the Jordanian Ministry of Education has been working towards precisely this goal for four years now, involving stakeholders from politics, administration, civil society and a university. In addition to a first draft of the strategy, the result has been to establish a committee that will work over the next few months to translate the political framework into legal requirements.
Benefiting from the experience of North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia can serve as a model for such a project: In recent years, the state has comprehensively reformed its Continuing Education Act (Weiterbildungsgesetz) through a participatory process with various local organisations and providers. The aim of the Germany-Jordan study trip was to benefit from this experience and to exchange ideas with key players in continuing education.
The delegation consisted of committee members from the Jordanian Ministry of Education – including the Director of Educational Departments, representatives of the Department of Non-Formal Education and the Legal Department – as well as a representative of the Jordanian Ministry of Social Development and three members of DVV International Jordan.
During the study trip, the Jordan delegation met representatives from the following institutions and projects: the German Institute for Adult Education, the Department of Adult Education at the University of Cologne, the Volkshochschule of Cologne, the State Association of Adult Education Centres in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Ministry of Culture and Science in North Rhine-Westphalia, the “Valikom” validation procedure project, the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, and DVV International.
Discussion topics included the financing of adult learning and education, the certification of adult educators, the role of universities and civil society in the German adult learning and education system, and cross-sector collaboration in vocational education and training.
The delegation returned to Jordan with many new insights and experiences, which are now being incorporated into the development of the new regulation for adult learning and education.
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