e-n«vičke
Winter 2013
Dear readers, please find attached the Winter edition of the online bulletin edited by the Slovenian Institute for Adult Education, available also at http://www.acs.si/bulletin e-novicke. The content briefly presented here is a result of our creative energy and momentum. We wish you pleasant reading, Nevenka Kocijančič, executive editor, and Zvonka Pangerc Pahemik, MSc, editor-in-chief
Christmas Greetings ...................................................................................................................................3
SIAE Projects and Events......................................................................................................................3-9
Study Circles Caravan in Črnomelj and some theoretical seasoning for the 20th anniversary......................3
Education on offer for adults 2013/2014 ..........................................................................................................4
Successful Slovenian Guidance Centre Days 2012/2013 .................................................................................5
Web-based collection of training programmes for adult educators..................................................................5
New developments in the InfO-mozaik............................................................................................................6
Our participation in the 13th Festival of the Third Age ....................................................................................7
Are things looking good for adult education in Slovenia? ...............................................................................7
Participants assess the Annual Adult Education Conference 2013 ..................................................................8
International Cooperation....................................................................................................................9-20
International Andragogical Symposium includes a presentation of the development of a system................9
Participation in the Grundtvig Project European InfoNet Adult Education III ..............................................10
Regional meeting of CONFINTEA VI in action............................................................................................10
Future Forum 2013 .........................................................................................................................................11
We host a colleague from Bosnia and Herzegovina.......................................................................................12
New video on guidance support for adults in education and learning............................................................12
Preparations for a new film about learning in the community .......................................................................12
Implementation of the European agenda on adult learning in Slovenia and Italy..........................................13
Lifelong Learning Week in Croatia................................................................................................................14
ARALE Project ..............................................................................................................................................14
Two practices, good and bad, in the closing ARALE conference..................................................................15
A new model of study circles being tested along the border with Italy .........................................................16
Visit of foreign partners in the Grundtvig Learning Partnerships Lit-Tech project.......................................16
Minister Jernej Pikalo at the meeting of OECD education ministers in Istanbul ...........................................17
36th SGIB meeting ..........................................................................................................................................17
Implementation of the European agenda on adult learning in full swing.......................................................18
Participation at the PIAAC research conference in Washington....................................................................19
Coordination workshop for partners in the KYL project in Tallinn...............................................................19
Relevant Publications ...............................................................................................................20-22
Study circles as a contribution to local community development...................................................................20
Signs of sustainability .....................................................................................................................................21
Health, Prevention of Addictions and Roma Youth in Europe .......................................................................21
European report on quality in adult education ................................................................................................22
Slovenian Adult Education Scene............................................................................................23-29
Financial Literacy for Roma - FINALLY ......................................................................................................23
Ida Srebotnik - new President of the Adult Education Association of Slovenia............................................23
The PLYA team of Novo mesto finishes European treasure hunt...................................................................24
Continuing education in Slovenia ...................................................................................................................25
Expenditure on formal education in Slovenia in 2011 ....................................................................................25
Upper secondary education for adults .............................................................................................................26
First International Accreditation of Online Learning in South-Eastern Europe............................................26
Documentary based on a true story .................................................................................................................27
Slovenian National Assembly adopts Adult Education Programme 2013-2020 ............................................28
Education programme for older people............................................................................................................28
Published by Slovenian Institute for Adult Education (SIAE), Šmartinska 134a, SI-1000 Ljubljana | Editor-in-chief: Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, MSc (E: zvonka.pangerc@acs.si) | Executive editor: Nevenka Kocijančič (E: nevenka.kocijancic@acs.si) | Editorial board: Nevenka Kocijančič, Tanja Možina, PhD, Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, MSc, Andrej Sotošek, MSc, Tanja Vilič Klenovšek, MA, and Margerita Zagmajster, MSc | Translation: Amidas d.o.o. | Design: Larisa Hercog | Corrective reading: Peter Monetti, Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, MSc | W: http://www.acs.si/bulletin e-novicke
ISSN 2232-2612
The publication was co-financed by the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs.
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CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
We wish you many sunny and serene days in 2014, an abundance of small pleasures and pleasant little attentions.
Happy and successful New Year! Andrej Sotošek, MSc, SIAE director
SIAE PROJECTS AND EVENTS
• • v • • • th • Study Circles Caravan in Črnomelj and some theoretical seasoning for the 20 anniversary of
the study circles network
On the 20th anniversary of study circles the Institute for Education and Culture in Črnomelj (ZIK Črnomelj) and the Slovenian Institute for Adult Education (SIAE) organised a Study Circles Caravan in June. More than 150 assembled guests were addressed by Nevenka Bogataj, PhD, who began by explaining how this project had flourished:
•	mentors follow the fundamental principles and respond to local development needs;
•	study circles function in harmony with the cultural dimensions of the local area;
•	the model of operation is controlled, but there is freedom of choice;
•	the basis of its functioning is stable state financing;
•	the national coordinator continuously adds value to the project each year.
How is it that the study circles network, in all its diversity, with just fifty percent of full time job for the network coordination and all the uncertainties of the recession, works so well and with such stability? National evaluations, systematic annual monitoring and own research match the theoretical assertions
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(photo: Karmen Mlinar)
whereby participation can come about in three ways ('on account' of others, in passing, or through synergy, where the sum of individuals exceeds their mathematical sum). Study circles, leaded by SIAE, base on synergies. So what is apparently the same problem is always addressed in a specific way, depending on the actual circumstances. Theory and practice show that a new, original solution each time is the most rational approach for specific circumstances. The ideas and will of participants are vital in this. Creativity can develop only in circumstances of clear and stable rules, freedom of action within those rules, and encouragement of success and competences for mutual adaptation. Plenty of local projects and awards to study circles, leaded by SIAE, illustrate this vitality. Hierarchical models stifle creativity, and can even prevent motivation and participation, so then solutions are not optimal, participation wanes, solutions take longer to find, and the group/community or system becomes threatened. Study circles are just one of the examples of good practices of internal synergies, which increasingly creates links on the local (for example The Radeče Centre for Culture, Tourism and Recreation, very well described in its latest publication), regional (http://www.study-circles.eu) and national levels (the Study Circles Caravan). It seems therefore that we are able to organise ourselves, and learning and education have always been vital in responding to developmental challenges.
At the last meeting, the atmosphere was once again unique despite a dense programme. People have found their own funds to come and to edit publications presented. Through the outstanding organisation the Bela Krajina experience spread to all parts of Slovenia and provided an incentive for further work.
Nevenka Bogataj, PhD (nevenka.bogataj@acs.si), SIAE
Education on offer for adults 2013/2014
The website of the SIAE has published a Review of Education on Offer for Adults 2013/2014 (in Slovenian), which for a number of years now has successfully informed the general public and professional circles about adult education on offer. The information, all in one place, is aimed at individuals, experts working in the area of guidance and information-providing in adult education, HR and other workers and also political and expert circles in making systemic and professional decisions in adult education and lifelong learning.
A C S • S I A E
Information is published on 235 providers of adult education and more than 4,000 programmes of both formal and non-formal education. The education providers are predominantly private organisations and private schools, secondary schools, adult education units at secondary schools, folk high schools and professional higher education institutions. The course content on offer is dominated by foreign language courses, basic communication skills and expertise programmes, business and administrative skills and computing courses. The education programmes on offer and other important information on adult education on this website are regularly supplemented and updated.
KAM ZNAN
S
http://pregled.acs.si
Erika Brenk (erika.brenk@acs.si), SIAE
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Successful Slovenian Guidance Centre Days 2012/2013
The ninth Slovenian Guidance Centre Days took place from 18 to 20 September 2013. All the Slovenian Adult Education Guidance Centres promoted learning and education through various events and activities. Several events were linked to The European Year of Citizens 2013, through which the EU is striving to ensure that citizens of Europe know their civic rights.
As many as 62 different events were held over three days. It should be noted that some took place before the official date, and some after the official closing. The centres organised various events, specifically:
•	knowledge stands in public places, where educational possibilities were promoted together with partners;
•	free workshops and courses, aimed at various target adult groups;
•	expert events and consultations;
•	contact broadcasts on local radio and television stations;
•	open house days at guidance centres and so on.
In the joint newspaper Info-ISIO 2013-2014 (in Slovenian), in addition to various opportunities for education we presented new developments in formal and non-formal adult education, the possibilities for recognising and assessing previously acquired knowledge, guidance support and assistance for adults before and during education courses, the possibilities of cofinancing education, career development and planning and a piece on volunteers at guidance centres.
The centres report very good responses and attendance, so we can conclude that such joint events serve to raise the profile of guidance centres for adult education in local environments, while at the same time they promote the possibilities of education and learning aimed at various adult groups.
Andreja Dobrovoljc, MA (andreja.dobrovoljc@acs.si), SIAE
Web-based collection of training programmes for adult educators
In 2011 we set up a Web-based collection of training programmes for adult educators - a collection of basic and further training programmes for adult educators carried out at the SIAE. It is aimed at adult educators, so they can find out about what the SIAE offers, gain an insight into the objectives and content of programmes, information on the possibilities for recognition of previously acquired knowledge, on certificates received at the end of courses and so on.
Thus far we have included more than 35 developed programmes in
re Programmes of general basic and further training, others are Programmes of basic and further training to support development of SIAE projects. In 2013, we have
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the programme file. Some of these
prepared the following programmes, which have been published with the financial support of ESF funds for the project Education and training of adult education professionals 2011-2014:
•	Basic training programme for leaders and guidance providers at adult education guidance centres (IGAE centres),
•	Basic training programme for counsellors for quality in adult education,,
•	Programme to determine the educational needs of the individual and the environment,
•	Preparation of e-learning materials and learning aids,
•	Motivating adults to learn,
•	Legislation and managing documentation on adult education,
•	Assessing knowledge and preparing adults for assessment,
•	Professional and personal growth through supervision,
•	Use of multimedia in education (8-hour),
•	Use of multimedia in education (16-hour).
Programmes are arranged by thematic group. Alenka Jurič Rajh (alenka.juric.rajh@acs.si), SIAE
New developments in the InfO-mozaik
On the SIAE website, in the InfO-mozaik section (in Slovenian), where we present key information, statistics, indicators and detailed presentations of key areas of adult education and learning, we have published new information on:
•	unemployment in Slovenia in 2012 - on average there were 1 and at the end of 2012 there were 118,061. This is up 4.7% on the end of 2011. The registered unemployment rate averaged 12% or 0.2 percentage points higher than in 2011. More women than men and more people aged 25 to 49 were unemployed, and above all there was a growth in the number of long-term unemployed;
•	continuing education in Slovenia in the 2011/2012 academic year - the 358 providers of continuing education were dominated by driving schools and specialised education organisations. Continuing education providers carried out more than 20,000 different programmes, which were attended by more than 300,000 people. Participation was most numerous in education programmes without any public status, specifically for the requirements of vocational work;
•	spending on formal education in Slovenia for 2011 amounted to EUR 2,053 million or 5.7% of GDP. The largest share of total public spending on formal education was allocated to primary education (45%). This was followed by tertiary (22%) and secondary education (19%) and pre-school (13%);
•	adult involvement in formal education - we present the latest data on the involvement of adults in primary and secondary education at the end of the 2011/2012 academic year, on the enrolment of students in higher and university-level education in the 2012/2013 academic year and on higher professional college and university-level graduates in 2012.
Erika Brenk (erika.brenk@acs.si), SIAE
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0,183 registered unemployed persons,
Our participation in the 13th Festival of the Third Age
The Slovenian Institute for Adult Education and its partners (Nova Gorica Adult Education Centre, Šmarje pri Jelšah Library, Murska Sobota Adult Education Centre, Soča Valley Development Centre, Radeče Centre for Culture, Tourism and Recreation, MOCIS Public Institute, Slovenj Gradec Adult Education Centre, Ljubljana City Library, BOB Institute for Education and Cultural Activities, Institute for Education and Culture of Črnomelj (in the photo with members of the Ljubljana Municipal Association of The Deaf) and Trbovlje Adult Education Centre), were represented at the 13th Festival of the Third Age, which took place from 1 to 3 October 2013 in the Cankarjev dom event centre in Ljubljana.
A large number of visitors learned about our projects and products, which are associated with active ageing and intergenerational cooperation, and also learned some new things.
Amid the flood of commercial stands, our joint exhibition area was a welcome respite for some, especially when they were able to witness the presentations of people who are learning and have something to show for it. In talks with partners and visitors, we realised that the SIAE Award Winners (Designers of textiles with elements of traditional textile heritage, Marija Metlika (in the photo with visitors to our stand), Lilijana Pahor and The Ljubljana Municipal Association of The Deaf) in the role of ambassadors of learning drew a lot of attention from passers-by with their personal touch. In any event, we hope that through talking and presenting examples of good practices we have encouraged visitors to take up some kind of learning.
The SIAE also participated in the festival's educational programme, specifically with two video screenings (Handmade stories, Guidance for learning) and discussions.
A gallery of photographs from the festival is posted on the SIAE Facebook page.
Mateja Pečar (mateja.pecar@acs.si), SIAE
Are things looking good for adult education in Slovenia?
At the end of 2013, concern has been growing over the expiry of the current perspective for benefiting from the European Social Fund. Those of us that participated in the Annual Adult Education Conference 2013 obtained some answers to questions about what is in store for the next perspective from the representatives of the competent ministries of the economy, education and labour. Presentations of the results of development tasks of the SIAE, especially the ESF projects Education and training of adult education professionals and Literacy development and recognition and validation of non-formal learning, led to the realisation that we have an excellent basis for moving forward. Although we will need to wait at least another year for the new European funds to become available, there is optimism over the fact that national sources have already been agreed through the recently adopted Resolution of the Master Plan on Adult Education 2013-2020, and the Annual Programme of Adult Education is also due by the end of the year. We were also presented with the
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idea of defining a public network and standards that will be comparable with other subsystems in education, but that will also preserve the special features of AE to the greatest possible extent.
At the conference, Minister Jernej Pikalo, PhD, gave a persuasive address that inspired the feeling that AE is something neither alien to him nor of any subordinate importance. He recognised the role of adult education in strengthening Slovenia's cultural capital, ensuring general competences and linking with the commercial and non-commercial sectors. He prioritises the establishing of education as a condition for economic change.
The presentations of the research BeLL Project and Learning parade 2013 confirmed the importance of non-formal education and the efforts to raise public awareness about the importance of adult education. For more on this subject, see the Annual Adult Education Conference 2013 website (in Slovenian).
We can assume that the response to the question in the title of this article will be decided by the capacity for flexible responding to the real needs of the labour market and society, linking and synergy and a focus on agreed priorities. Some of this is within our power, as for the rest ...?!
Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, MSc (zvonka.pangerc@acs.si), SIAE
Participants assess the Annual Adult Education Conference 2013
The traditional meeting of representatives of politics, the profession and practice in the field of adult education and of other departments, which the SIAE again coordinated for the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport this year, was successfully held in the pleasant setting of the Austria Trend Hotel Ljubljana.
Registration for the conference reached 327 people, a number that clearly illustrates our interest and will to participate in a well-informed way in creating a better tomorrow in the profession and in life in general. The actual number of participants was 290, which is in fact an attendance record compared to the previous three years.
In contrast to the last three conferences coordinated by the SIAE, this year's was a one-day event. This was guided by a desire to make savings. And the opinions of last year's participants, collected in evaluation questionnaires, indicated the benefits of rationalising time, money and content. The programme was fittingly rich and condensed. It was moderated by Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, MSc, head of the Promotion and Information Unit at the SIAE. We were addressed by a full 20 plenary speakers - some with lengthy and some with shorter papers.
This year, too, we asked conference participants to give us feedback on the event. Evaluation questionnaires were filled in by half the participants. An analysis of responses shows that on the whole, participants were satisfied with this year's conference. The highest marks were given to the organisation and implementation of the conference, and participants were also generally pleased with the selection of the time and place. There was also praise from the participants for the current nature of topics at the conference and for the
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selection of topics in the plenary papers, while they were slightly less pleased with the length of the conference.
The proceedings, conclusions, Utrinki o LPoIO (Glimpses of the Adult Education Conference) and photos are accessible on the conference website http://pro.SIAE.si/lp2013.
Erika Brenk (erika.brenk@acs.si) and Mateja Pečar (mateja.pecar@acs.si), SIAE
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
International Andragogical Symposium includes a presentation of the development of a system of key competences for adults in Slovenia
On 16 and 17 May 2013 the Croatian Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education organized an International Andragogical Symposium Key competences and adult learning.
The programme of the two-day symposium, which was attended by around 150 experts and providers of adult education in Croatia and guests from abroad, comprised eight expert papers and a panel discussion on the topic of the Role and application of key competences.
The director of the SIAE, Andrej Sotošek, MSc (in photo), gave a paper entitled Development of a system of basic competences in Slovenia in the first part of the second day of the symposium. He spoke about the developmental work of experts in developing a system of key competences in Slovenia over the past 20 years. He presented the developmental, research and implementing work, linked the area of literacy to fundamental competences and highlighted key projects in this field. He tied this in to developmental work in the area of basic competences in developing a national qualifications framework, and established a link between formal and nonformal learning and basic and expert competences via a system of evaluation. He also summed up the key results in this field in Slovenia, closing his paper with challenges up to 2020 and the international PIAAC research.
For more detailed information and documents, see the Symposium website, while snapshots have been posted in the photo gallery.
Andrej Sotošek, MSc (andrej.sotosek@acs.si), SIAE
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Participation in the Grundtvig Project European InfoNet Adult Education III
The SIAE is involved in the Grundtvig Project European InfoNet Adult Education III in the role of correspondent, and so we can now present two autumn issues of the InfoNet Newsletter.
The topic of InfoNet Newsletter 5/2013, which was produced in cooperation with the web magazine LLinE, is Mobility and Migration. An article on this topic, entitled Slovenia shapes up Intercultural Adult Education was contributed to the magazine by SIAE colleague Natalija Vrečer, PhD. The LLinE magazine also published a range of articles covering different aspects of the topic, including a number of scientific articles. You can find them at http://www.lline.fi/en.
November saw the publication of InfoNet Newsletter 6/2013, which presents a range of interesting articles that have been published since October on the InfoNet website. These include the article entitled Learners are the best advocates, written by SIAE colleague Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, MSc. The article brings to the forefront learners who have received Awards for the Promotion of Adult Learning and Knowledge. All the recipients have indeed overcome apparently insuperable obstacles in order to attain their goal, or have, through their example, motivated many people to learn. 188 learners have received awards since 1997 during the Lifelong Learning Weeks in Slovenia. Some of them and others like them have become advocates for learning as part of the Role Models Attract (RMA) campaign. With 9,400 events in 2013 LLW has paved the way to the understanding and practice of lifelong learning in Slovenia. The article goes on to present other festivals of learning and similar promotional campaigns in Europe.
Mateja Pečar (mateja.pecar@acs.si), SIAE Regional meeting of CONFINTEA VI in action
In December 2009 in Brazil, participants of the International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI) adopted the Belem framework for action. In South East Europe (SEE) the task of promoting fulfilment of this plan was taken on by the Regional Office of dvv international for SEE. Under its auspices, various kickoff events were held in the network of countries that it coordinates. For more information on this, see the CONFINTEA VI website.
The Slovenian Institute for Adult Education has been involved in these efforts through the joint organisation of certain regional consultations and meetings on fulfilment of the CONFINTEA VI resolutions in the SEE region and through substantive cooperation. It organised a regional meeting from 7 to 9 July 2013 in Bled. The meeting was attended by 13 experts from government institutions, NGOs and faculties from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, Slovenia and Serbia.
The programme of the regional meeting included four thematic areas:
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• an overview of activities to date and results of regional cooperation from 2007 to 2013 - prepared
by Katarina Popovic, PhD;
•	a presentation of key activities and results of priority development areas of the Belem action plan of individual countries that have been attained over the past year - with two papers given by representatives from Slovenia: Tanja Možina, PhD, presented the development of a competence model for training and enhancing experts in the field of adult education in Slovenia, while Andrej Sotošek, MSc, presented three key development priorities in the area of adult education in Slovenia, specifically the PIAAC research project, the system of evaluating non-formal and informal adult learning and the Learning parade project;
•	a presentation of information on preparations for the interim Regional UNESCO Conference for North America, Europe and Israel, which will be held from 8 to 10 December 2013 in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius;
•	discussion and coordination of key priorities for further cooperation at the regional level.
Andrej Sotošek, MSc (andrej .sotosek@acs.si), SIAE
Future Forum 2013
From 3 to 5 July the Association of Austrian Adult Education Centres (VÖV) organised the fifth international conference Future Forum (FF) with the sub-heading Responses to the crisis? Challenges for adult education in Innsbruck in cooperation with the Tyrol Adult Education Centre. The conference drew around 60 participants. On the first day, Ingibjörg E. Guömundsdöttir from Iceland's Centre for Training and Education presented the consequences of the crisis in Iceland. They responded to it with the increased participation of all stakeholders, along with approaches and tools they had started to develop back in 2003. On the second day, Mary Murphy of the National University of Ireland presented the experiences of seeking the right responses to the crisis, and specifically the example of the intersectoral movement Claiming our future. She defined AE as a tool for developing flexibility, imagination and competences to define alternative paths. On the last day, Clemens Sedmak, Professor of Philosophy at King's College, London, presented a paper entitled Education against poverty to argue the case that education only makes sense when it becomes an internalised part of the personality, and that education against poverty is not aimed merely at the poor, but also at the complementary section of the population.
In working groups, participants exchanged information on the consequences of the crisis for AE in our own countries, and sought responses to the question whether AE is simply the provision of services or could grow into a movement. If the latter is possible, how can we achieve this? The programme and materials from FF 2013 are already available on the FF website.
The next Future Forum will be held from 2 to 4 June 2014 in the South Tyrol city of Bolzano. It will be aimed at participants and teachers from new generation folk high schools. More on the FF 2014 website.
Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, MSc (zvonka.pangerc@acs.si), SIAE
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We host a colleague from Bosnia and Herzegovina
On Wednesday, 4 September, we welcomed Dušan Sarajlič, an expert from the Agency for Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education of Bosnia and Herzegovina (APOSO), where he works in the Vocational Education Department in Banja Luka (Odjel za srednje stručno obrazovanje). He was interested in a general overview of our work and the system of adult education, and showed particular interest in the adult education programmes we provide, and in quality in adult education.
During his five-day stay in Slovenia, which was organised by the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training, the Bosnian guest visited not just our institution but also the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, Velenje School Centre and the National Education Institute of Slovenia.
Darijan Novak (darijan.novak@acs.si), SIAE
New video on guidance support for adults in education and learning
As part of the project Implementation of the renewed European agenda on adult learning (EAAL) 2012-2014 in Slovenia the SIAE 'wound up' what is now the third video film, this time entitled
Guidance _for learning - Educational guidance support_for adults.
In it we show the work on the project Information and guidance in adult education (IGEA), a network of 14 guidance centres and their guidance providers. In the video we captured the opinions of those in charge of the project at the SIAE, guidance providers in Murska Sobota, Novo mesto and Velenje, their colleagues in local environments and the users of their services.
The film - which is 23 minutes long - can be seen in its entirety, but is also divided into individual thematic sections, since we also wish it to be usable on a modular basis. Along with the introduction and conclusion, it offers a range of information on guidance in adult education in general, about guidance before, during and after education and about evaluation.
The film presents one more type of highlighted good practice, which is accessible on the Learning parade website and on DVD. We invite you to take a look.
Darijan Novak (darijan.novak@acs.si), SIAE
Preparations for a new film about learning in the community
Within the European project Implementation of the renewed European agenda on adult learning (EAAL) 2012-2014 in Slovenia we have been working on a new film (the fourth in the collection) about learning in the community. The film seeks to promote different aspects of learning in the local community, and uses real-life examples to illustrate the definition of a learning community that has been created in this project.
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We will present the importance of the individual and the role of the group and wider community for quality of life and (self-) development.
We will focus on young unemployed people, immigrants, older people and community learning mentors and animators. Their stories are tied to the communities in which they work. People are involved in events in the local environment, and they either integrate successfully into it or contribute to its development - economically, culturally and sustainably. In the video we will emphasise the following thematic areas: the importance of learning in the community for vulnerable groups and the role of a learning community, with stress on social inclusion (cohesion), ecology, sustainable development, self-sufficiency and cultural heritage.
We will collect statements from individuals who provide initiatives in communities for their growth, and this will illustrate both the importance of the individual or the community and the importance of the community for social cohesion and the development of individuals, groups of people with special needs and local communities.
We went into the field in October. The film is expected to be ready for viewing in May 2014. We welcome you to look at the other video productions that have been made as part of the European project and are published on the Learning parade website.
Slavica Borka Kucler (borka.kucler@acs.si) and Ajda Turk (ajda.turk@acs.si), external associates of SIAE
Implementation of the European agenda on adult learning in Slovenia and Italy
In Slovenia we have set about implementing the European agenda on adult learning (EAAL) through the Learning parade 2013 and video production of the films There are opportunities!, Handmade stories and Guidance for learning. At the end of September we submitted an interim report to the European Commission, and towards the end of the year we will begin preparations for the Learning parade 2014 and the production of the latest, fourth video on learning communities. The results of the project thus far were presented at the Annual Adult Education Conference 2013 on 20 November.
Other Member States also planned projects through which they are encouraging fulfilment of the EAAL messages. Our neighbours in Italy came up with three groups of activities:
•	a web-based communication campaign that will deal with current topics of adult education (AE) in Italy,
•	establishing a database of useful experiences in AE and
•	formulating focus groups and three national conferences on the topics of: ICT in AE, Adult learning for active citizenship and Non-formal and informal adult learning.
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H Lifelong Learning
I (the author of this article) was invited to the first national conference, held on 24 September in Turin, to present the Slovenian AE system with emphasis on the National AE Programme, two cases of the use of ICT in AE (Network of lifelong learning centres/points and the Symbiosis project) and the aforementioned Slovenian approach to fulfilling the EAAL.
National coordination for Italy was assumed by the Institute for the Development of Vocational Education of Rome - ISFOL. The organisers were enthusiastic about the Slovenian approaches and indicated that next year they would visit us and take part in the Learning parade.
Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, MSc (zvonka.pangerc@acs.si), SIAE Lifelong Learning Week in Croatia
In cooperation with numerous partners, the Croatian Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education carried out the seventh Croatian Lifelong Learning Week - LLW, which was opened on 30 September at the National and University Library in Zagreb, and lasted until 6 October 2013. The representatives of the SIAE, Andrej Sotošek, MSc, and the author of this article, were invited, as is now traditional, to the event, which this year was again enhanced by live streams from the LLW coordinators in all Croatian counties. The Croatian LLW comprised more than 500 events put together by around 700 different institutions.
Three awards, called 'Maslačak znanja' (Dandelion Lights of Knowledge), were presented at the opening ceremony for exceptional learning achievements by adults (recipients are in the photo). Major attention was also drawn by the first 'promoter of lifelong learning', the famous Croatian athlete, Olympic swimmer Gordan Kožulj. Parallel to his sporting success, he notched up a series of achievements in his own education, so as an education advocate he will work not just in the framework of the LLW, but also in other Agency projects, especially in the campaign to promote the education of sports people.
In the afternoon part of the first day there was a presentation of the Strategy of Education, Science and Technology, where lifelong learning and adult education occupy a special place. They were presented by Prof. Neven Budak, PhD, special adviser to Croatian Prime Minister for science, and Prof. Tomislav Filetin, PhD, head of the Working Group for Lifelong Learning and Adult Education.
At events throughout Croatia, the Week paid special attention to the topic The European Year 2013 -Europe's citizens, since with Croatia's accession to the EU it has taken on new dimensions.
Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, MSc (zvonka.pangerc@acs.si), SIAE ARALE Project
One of the most prominent results of the 2013 project Awareness Raising for Adult Learning and Education - ARALE, run by the European Association for the Education of Adults - EAEA, is a collection of examples
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of good practices of public awareness-raising about the importance and actual forms of adult education. We contributed to the collection a description of two Slovenian projects - LLW and the Role Models Attract (RMA) campaign. In total, 56 cases are presented from 19 European countries, and they are arranged by type of audience they (primarily) address: the general public, specific target groups and political circles. The collection is a clearly fascinating springboard for all of us working in this field and wishing to learn more about the approaches taken by others, or even to adopt and tailor them to our own situations.
The other milestone in the ARALE project was the closing conference, held on 2 and 3 October 2013 in Brussels. The conference enabled us to learn about some examples of good practices related to festivals of learning, letting learners have a voice, training successful learners for mentor roles, television advertising of literacy programmes and similar. Around 70 participants from 22 countries discussed the future of promotional
campaigns, the involvement of model learners in raising awareness among various groups, partnerships and sponsorships that could support these processes and international transfer of innovation. The Slovenian participants, Darijan Novak and Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, MSc, shared our experiences and opinions in workshop discussions, interviews and in the closing panel discussion. You can read more about this in the programme of presentations, the conference report and recommendations.
Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, MSc (zvonka.pangerc@acs.si), SIAE Two practices, good and bad, in the closing ARALE conference
The meetings of experts at conferences such as the closing ARALE project conference present an opportunity to evaluate our own work in the wider, European context and perhaps supplement the approaches and practices we pursue in individual countries. We are accustomed to passing on only good practices, but in this short article I mention one good and one bad practice:
•	The success of the promotional campaign for the literacy programme Take the First Step of the Irish National Adult Literacy Agency - NALA (presentation) hinged primarily on TV advertisements. The professional advertisements, broadcast on national television, attracted 30 percent more participants who had difficulty with reading and arithmetic, probably in part because they featured individuals with whom viewers could identify - a mother wanting to help her child learn, an older gentleman who had trouble reading and writing and a young man looking to change his life.
•	The Danish government shut down the Danish Research and Development Centre back in 2002 (presentation), but after intensive four-year lobbying by experts and adult education institutions it will be up and running again in January 2014 with a new website. It is surprising, but even Scandinavians, whom we hold in such higher regard because of their standard of living, socially supportive society, investment in education and the results they have attained, hit on the idea of making savings in areas that are key to the wellbeing of individuals and society.
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arale
AWARENESS RAISING FOR ADULT LEARNING AND EDUCATION
In closing, here is a quote from the conference: Adult education is the Cinderella of education (Bernie Brady, AONTAS).
Darijan Novak (darijan.novak@acs.si), SIAE
A new model of study circles being tested along the border with Italy
In the cross-border project Study Circles, described on the project website, pilot trials are being conducted. Below we present a pioneer established on the initiative of the Brignoli-Einaudi-Marconi Secondary School (ISIS Brignoli-Einaudi-Marconi) in Gradisca d'Isonzo (Gradišče ob Soči) involving the Adult Education Centre (CTP EDA), the Province of Gorizia and the Municipality of Sagrado and with the technical support of the educational institution ENFAP, which is the leading partner in the project.
It gave a public presentation of the study circles Wandering between biological knowledge and tastes at the End of Summer Festival with a Grand Bazaar in the Gorizia park of Basaglia. You can see a more detailed presentation of the event on the website (in Italian).
More information at the Study Circles website (Project La Porta di Casa. Orti, cibi e culture locali femminili / Door to the House. Gardens, dishes and local women's culture - Municipality of Sagrado), from the mentor Sara D'Avanzo and the referee Marco Fragiacomo, principal of the Adult Education Centre (E: marco.fragiacomo@goiss.it).
Summarised by Nevenka Bogataj, PhD (nevenka.bogataj@acs.si), SIAE
Visit of foreign partners in the Grundtvig Learning Partnerships Lit-Tech project
CDI Univerzum is participating in the project Grundtvig Learning Partnerships (Literacy and Adult Basic Education with Information Technologies - Lit-Tech), which is focused on European exchange of best practices to improve literacy and arithmetical skills of adult learners by using didactic approaches and the possibility of using ICT.
During a meeting in Slovenia that lasted several days, project partners (FAW of Germany, Sabiamente -Centro de Estudos of Portugal and Creative Possibilities of the United Kingdom) took time to visit the SIAE
(programme) on 11 October 2013. We gave the guests a presentation of adult education in Slovenia and the adult literacy project.
Thirteen visitors (in the photo) listened with interest to presentations and were enthusiastic over the educational films Učenje učenja - Na poti do življenjske uspešnosti/Learning to learn - on the path to life success (in Slovenian), which was created as part of the project Razvoj pismenosti odraslih/Development of adult literacy (in
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Slovenian), and Handmade stories, which was created in the project Implementation of the renewed European agenda for adult learning (EAAL) 2012-2014 in Slovenia.
Mateja Pečar (mateja.pecar@acs.si), SIAE
Minister Jernej Pikalo at the meeting of OECD education ministers in Istanbul
An informal meeting of education ministers of the OECD countries was held in Istanbul on 2 and 3 October. It was also attended by the Slovenian Minister of Education, Science and Sport, Jernej Pikalo, PhD.
The event included a discussion of trends and perspectives for developing work skills. In the ministerial discussions under the joint title How can education systems develop the necessary knowledge, skills and competences, Jernej Pikalo, PhD, emphasised the importance of the relevance of modern skills and the importance of developing and fostering a culture of lifelong learning. He highlighted lifelong learning festivals (in Slovenia we have the Lifelong Learning Week) as one example of such learning. In the second set of discussions entitled Role of education ministries in ensuring greater coordination between the knowledge and skills on offer for work and the demand for them, the minister presented the project of training for practical skills and highlighted the practice of inter-enterprise education centres in Slovenia.
As one of the 25 OECD members responsible for education, Slovenia received an invitation to the Fourth International Summit on the Teaching Profession, which will be held in March next year in New Zealand.
Source: Ministry of Education, Science and Sport website, 3 Oktober 2013
Summarised by Ajda Turk (ajda.turk@acs.si), external associate of SIAE
36th SGIB meeting
The European Commission's Standing Group on Indicators and Benchmarks (SGIB) met on 4 and 5 November in Brussels and covered an extensive agenda, which included:
•	The release of the Education and Training Monitor 2013, in which the
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emphasis is on investment in education, and it presents the results of the first cycle of research on adult skills (PIAAC). The entire sixth chapter is devoted to adult education, which has also been incorporated into some other chapters, demonstrating that the importance of our field has finally been recognised.
•	A review of the participation of European countries in international research to date and in the future, which serves as the basis for monitoring progress in education on the European level. We discussed the reasons for participation in specific research (international importance and recognisability, tradition,
Education and Training
Monitor 2013
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trust in the research/provider institution etc.) and against (small size of countries, lack of money and/or human resources, time overlap of research etc.) and talked about the transfer of research results to political decisions and practice.
•	Implementation of the Joint Assessment Framework - JAF methodology for four target values is under way, and this includes for the participation of adults in lifelong learning. The selected sub-indicators are for now: Participants of the active employment policy in training, Participation in vocational education and training courses, Obstacles to adult education - financial and tied to work, The tradition of adult education (seeking information on opportunities, guidance services) and Informal learning.
•	The SGIB mandate and the work programme for 2014 - both envisage an even greater role of members in linking together European and national efforts in the area of measuring European progress in education.
Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, MSc (zvonka.pangerc@acs.si), SIAE
Implementation of the European agenda on adult learning in full swing
This year's second meeting on 7 November brought together the national coordinators for fulfilment of the European programme for adult education 2012-2014. We reported on activities carried out in the first project year, while representatives of The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) briefed us on feedback about our substantive and financial reports.
Even though we are about to start another project year and for Slovenia this means implementing the Learning parade 2014 and making the last video publication about community learning, we have already talked about continuing the process and the tender call for the 2014-2015 period. That call will be published at the beginning of next year, and we have already talked in working groups about possible priority topics. Two dilemmas have also arisen: in the new project, is it better to continue the work already set out, or better to begin something completely new? Is it better to aim the project at international exchange and cooperation or at national issues? There was a prevalent view that each country should decide for itself.
The next opportunity for meeting up and professional deliberation was the conference in Lithuania between 8 and 10 December 2013. The event was the fruit of joint efforts by the European Commission, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) and the Lithuanian Ministry of Education. The Slovenian representatives, Ema Perme from the Ministry of education, Science and Sport and the author of this article, gave a presentation in the literacy working group. Other working groups discussed the topics of the wider social and civic benefits of increasing participation in adult learning, quality and efficiency and equity: the framing elements for funding adult learning as well as partnerships, cooperation and coordination in adult education and learning. Taking into account findings of the UNESCO Global Report on Adult Learning and Education: Rethinking Literacy (GRALE II), results of the Survey on Adult Skills (PIAAC), and recommendations from working groups, several interesting action points were defined for future work in the field of adult education at European level.
Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, MSc (zvonka.pangerc@acs.si), SIAE
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H Lifelong Learning
Participation at the PIAAC research conference in Washington
In the middle of November 2013 a research conference took place in Washington within the framework of the international research Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) entitled PIAAC Research conference - The importance of skills and how to measure them. The conference was organised by Educational and Testing Service - ETS of Princeton in cooperation with the OECD, following publication of a report with results of PIAAC research from the countries that participated in the first round of this research between 2008 and 2013.
Invitations to the conference (pictured is Irwin Kirsch, Director of the Center for Global Assessment at ETS), which was attended by around 260 people from more than 30 countries, were issued to researchers in various fields (labour market, economy, education), representatives of research groups in countries that cooperated in the first or are cooperating in the second round of the project (which include Slovenia), representatives of various national and international organisations and policy planners (World Bank, OECD, Unesco, European Commission). Slovenia was represented by Ksenija Bregar Golobič, representative of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport and the national coordination of PIAAC, and by Estera Možina, MSc, representative of the consortium conducting PIAAC research in Slovenia and national coordinator of PIAAC research in Slovenia.
In a rich, three-day programme, the conference focused on the methodology of measuring skills and competences of adults and on presenting analysis of the results for the needs of planning labour market and education policies. Big screens were set up in the lobby of the conference, showing Video presentations of the PIAAC project from various countries. Individual countries, including Slovenia, provided 4-minute videos presenting their plans and views on applying the results of PIAAC research to studying and planning national development policies. The OECD offered participants the chance to check out and test the application Education and Skills On Line - E&S. This is a tool for individual testing of competences that is linked to the PIAAC research and measures literacy, mathematical competence and the problem solving in a technology rich environment.
Estera Možina, MSc (ester.mozina@acs.si), SIAE
Coordination workshop for partners in the KYL project in Tallinn
On 19 and 20 November the second coordination workshop was held in Tallinn for partners in the project Know your Lifestyle - Introducing Sustainable Consumption in 2'nd Chance Education - KYL.
Each partner country (photo: Benjamin Hell) sent two representatives to the meeting, which was also attended by the representative of the EAEA, which is also a partner in the project. At the meeting the project coordinator Henrik Poos (dvv International, Germany) presented the agreements from the meeting with the project financer - Europe Aid, which was held in Brussels at the
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beginning of November, and we also agreed on further work in the project. This year we will be preparing study material for four modules on sustainable development that we are developing in the project. Each country should implement at least two modules, and to support this it should hold presentation workshops and training for teachers and mentors in second chance programmes.
The partners will meet three more times, first at an adaptation workshop in Klagenfurt, at a coordination meeting in Ljubljana and at a workshop that the EAEA will organise in Brussels.
Natalija Žalec (natali ja.zalec@acs.si), SIAE
RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS
Study circles as a contribution to local community development
The publication Study circles as a contribution to local community development is the fruit of cooperation and connection between study circles, which under the coordinate of the SIAE this year celebrate their 20th anniversary. Its examples of good practices tell us that under certain conditions, a small group can contribute to development, although nowadays development is expected mostly from the state, companies or for instance from the EU.
The booklet was issued as part of the international project Implementation of the renewed European Agenda for Adult Learning (EAAL) 2012-2014 in Slovenia, and more specifically the part Learning parade. The parade promotes a learning community, so it also provided the opportunity for the study circles meeting. On the conclusion of the Learning parade a meeting at Magolnik in the municipality of Radeče and the publishing of the booklet were made possible by the Radeče Centre for Culture, Tourism and Recreation, Slovenian Forest Service and the Pahernik Institution, which supported its printing.
So what is the publication about? It presents 20 examples of economic activity of study circles in the past and the present. So it is concerned with economic history and the potential for developmental breakthrough as already pursued by the study circles in very varied environments throughout Slovenia.
Small groups are also a theoretically affirmed organisational form of development. They are therefore not just the first phase of designing the common goal and mobilising enthusiastic people for it, but given their success and functioning in harmony with the local culture, they have also already received numerous municipal, inter-municipal and national awards for education. One of the most recent, the recipient of a Domžale municipal prize, the Study circle Slamnikarstvo (straw hat making), is presented in the booklet, where you can also read about potatoes in Šenčur, onions from Griblje in Bela krajina), sawmills and mills around Vuzenica, mountain timber in the Solčava area and the Forest Interpretive Trail in Železniki, the Topolovo Trail in Livek and the development efforts there, plus many other fascinating examples. Many readers will be familiar with the European project through which six study circles brought to Radeče not just project funds but also new knowledge, a culture of dialogue and development in its noblest meaning.
Mateja Pečar (mateja.pecar@acs.si) and Nevenka Bogataj, PhD (nevenka.bogataj@acs.si), SIAE
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Signs of sustainability
In June 2013, as part of the project Education and training of adult education professionals 2011-2014 (supported by the European Union through the European Social Fund (ESF) and Ministry of Education, Science and Sport) a publication was issued with the title Signs of sustainability (Znamenja trajnosti), in which the editor, Dr. Nevenka Bogataj, collected and edited 18 presentations of Slovenian examples of sustainable action.
Signs of sustainability is based on three types of sources: archive testament of the past, international documents that have brought the concept of sustainability into the political arena, and the living practice of Slovenian local communities that have been functioning for centuries yet in terms of sustainable development principles remain unknown.
The fundamental concept of Signs of sustainability is that sustainability can be achieved if at the same time we take into account the combination of its three dimensions: ecological, social and economic. The economic dimension may be a key motive, while sadly in practice the ecological and especially social dimensions of sustainability are for the most part neglected and marginalised. The lack of respect given to them is a reason for non-sustainable structures and states.
We understand the publication as an overture to studying and adopting sustainable principles, so we wish to find elements, criteria, a developmental path and principles of sustainability in the selected examples. Within it you can find classic texts on sustainability, sustainable practices from the past, views of sustainability today and examples of good practices and reflections on such approaches for the future. The signs or examples in which two balances function simultaneously - a balance in the community and balance between the community and its natural environment - invite thought and modification of personal behaviour. Special emphasis is placed on education. It is only when we understand and critically assess our own functioning in the community on various levels that we are able - in harmony with our culture - to adapt to changes rationally and without any loss of identity.
Summarised by Karmen Rajar (karmen.rajar@acs.si), SIAE
Health, Prevention of Addictions and Roma Youth in Europe
Our first question and the starting point of our discussion is: What do we know about the Roma? Of course we know the Roma. We see them in offices, hospitals, schools, wherever we work. Our position exposes us to different people and constant interaction, which can flow well or be indifferent or conflictive. Although we do not know any specific Roma person, we can talk about them. There are many perceptions, prejudices and emotions regarding the Roma - an important minority that is often close to us, yet sometimes strange and different. They provoke admiration, curiosity, fear, contempt and are seen as a problem. This subject must not leave us indifferent, since the interplay between the majority and minority is always serious and leads to consequences.
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Although the perceptions we have about the Roma seem objective, they carry insights, they change relationships and provoke responses in our behaviour. They affect our work, our expectations, and the way we treat people.
In the Novo mesto Development and Education Centre (RIC Novo mesto), we strive to know more each day, to implement flowing interaction, reduce prejudice and cooperate. In our projects, we seek results - and we would like to invite you to read the new handbook. International experts have gathered together various theoretical and practical articles in the publication Health, Prevention of Addictions and Roma Youth in Europe - a Handbook and Actions for Practice (Zdravje, preprečevanje zasvojenosti in romska mladina v Evropi - priročnik in delovanje v praksi). The handbook - a part of the SRAP project - makes fascinating reading material not just for health workers, but also for others who work with the Roma. The main purpose of the handbook is to remove obstacles that the Roma community in Europe faces when accessing health services and services for addicts, as well as to help prevent inequalities system.
Zdravje, preprečevanje zasvojenosti in romska mladina v Evropi:
in the health
Marjeta Gašperšič (meta.gaspersic@ric-nm.si), RIC Novo mesto
European report on quality in adult education
The Directorate-General for Education and Culture at the European Commission has published a new study entitled Developing the adult learning sector: Quality in the Adult Learning Sector.
The aim of the study was to seek out and analyse the scope, content and implementation of various approaches, standards and other developmental orientations in efforts to develop quality in the adult education sector. Researchers from the Netherlands (Panteia), assisted by numerous European experts, have analysed various approaches and models to ensure the quality of adult education used in different European countries. The study comprises a Final report, Executive summary and ANNEX report with data on individual European countries and case stu<
Among the examples of good practices, the report presents the Slovenian model for self-evaluation, Offering Quality Education to Adults - OQEA, which was developed by the SIAE (see ANNEX report, pp. 135-146).
The OQEA model is adjusted in such a way that it can be used in different adult education organisations (adult education centres, secondary and post-secondary education organisations, private education and volunteer organisations, etc.). Organisations use it to assess formal and informal education. The model can be used for self-evaluation of the entire educational organisation, or only one programme, department, or educational group; it can even be used by just one teacher. The OQEA is a systemic tool for quality assessment and implementation of improvements and development initiatives based on self-evaluation methods, based on goals such as better quality of adult education, the development of employees and their learning and, also, a team approach with the encouragement of participation in decision-making.
Jasmina Orešnik Cunja (jasmina.oresnik.cunja@acs.si), SIAE
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SLOVENIAN ADULT EDUCATION SCENE
Fi nancial Literacy for Roma - FINALLY
The Novo mesto Development and Education Centre (RIC Novo esto) started implementing the project Financial Literacy for Roma (Financial Literacy for Roma - FINALLY) at the end of 2012. In addition to the RIC Novo mesto, which is heading a larger European project for the first time, six partners from Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Slovakia and Serbia are involved.
The main aim of the project is to raise the level of financial literacy among Roma adults and be informed about different consumer services. First, by applying a uniform methodology we researched in all partner countries the extent of Roma knowledge in this field. We carried out guided interviews with individual Roma, two focus groups of professionals dealing with Roma issues and leading representatives of the Roma community. In addition, by studying different literature we researched how Roma successfully manage their family finances. Based on this research we will develop an educational programme on how to efficiently manage family finances, be an informed consumer, save money, shop wisely and so on. It will be accompanied by learning and teaching resources adapted to the needs of the Roma minority and focused on gaining practical skills to ensure a better quality of life. The programme and learning tools will be tested through pilot actions, and improved and published in all languages of the partners at the end of the project.
The Grundtvig Multilateral Project FINALLY will last until the end of October 2015 and is co-funded by the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union. More information about the project can be found on the project website or in project Newsletters every six months.
Gabi Ogulin Počrvina, MSc (gabi.ogulin.pocrvina@ric-nm.si), RIC Novo mesto
Ida Srebotnik - new President of the Adult Education Association of Slovenia
For many years Ida Srebotnik has played a prominent part in adult education, not only in the environment where she worked, but also at the national level. She is known as a person with a high level of persistence, consistency and uncompromising commitment to quality technical solutions in adult education.
Her professional career began as a teacher at a primary school. Then she started working in the employment training centre at Ljubljanska banka on adult education. She established herself as a key figure and initiated projects that have brought numerous innovations in employee training. After nine years working at that centre, a new challenge in the development of adult education practice was offered to her in the form of heading up adult education at the Post, Economics and Telecommunications Education Centre, the former PTT secondary education centre in Ljubljana. Under her guidance, this underdeveloped field grew in less than two
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years from a handful of evening school classes into a fully evolved education centre, open in particular to all those projects and new developments that make the acquisition of skills by adult employees more easily accessible and make learning attractive. Here she made a decisive commitment to improving the status of adult education, which was not considered equal to the education of young people, and this encouraged her to demonstrate consistent public, active commitment to a better systemic provision of adult education.
She is the founder and president of the Adult Education Association in secondary schools in Slovenia. Critical and insightful, she maintains a presence in the educational press and newspapers. Ida Srebotnik has always been very active as a member of the Adult Education Association of Slovenia, either as a member of the Executive Committee of the Association or as a member or leader of other committees. All this bodes well for her new role managing the Adult Education Association of Slovenia.
Source: ADEES, June 2013 (in Slovenian only)
Summarised by Zoran Jelenc, PhD (zoran.jelenc@guest.arnes.si), Adult Education Association of Slovenia
The PLYA team of Novo mesto finishes European treasure hunt
\ From October 2011 to July 2013, the PLYA team from Novo mesto participated in the international Grundtvig project Learning Partnerships, a part of the EU Lifelong Learning programme. In the project EU Treasure Hunt, the Development and Education Centre (RIC Novo mesto) and partner organizations from Austria, Cyprus, Italy, Spain and the UK took part. In the first week of July 2013, we completed our last project activity in Italy (in the photo: Castiglione del Lago). Together with our partners, we prepared the final report and got to know the sights of central Italy.
In two years, the participants of the Project Learning for Young Adults - PLYA and their mentors carried out 25 mobilities and visited all five partner countries, where we discovered European treasures involving different topics (art and handcraft, history, architecture and cuisine). In the project activities, we experienced living abroad, learned about the partner countries, their history, culture, sights and cuisine, we practiced foreign languages, and presented our work in the PLYA project outside Slovenia. Naturally, we have met interesting people and made many new friends. The project was successful, because the goals were achieved and the foundation for possible future cooperation with our project partners was laid.
During the project, we set up a website, recorded two short films and posted them on YouTube (PUM Novo mesto - Atria of Novo mesto and PUM Novo mesto - 2011/2012), designed the introduction brochure, logo, promotional aprons and key chains, as well as a memory game.
We invite you to visit our website. Maja Regina (maja.regina@ric-nm.si), RIC Novo mesto
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Continuing education in Slovenia
STATISTICAL OFFICE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA
The Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia has published on its website research data on continuing education in Slovenia for the 2011/2012 academic year. Their research monitors annually the involvement of adults in various general, professional and language courses of continuing non-formal education and training, whereby course participants do not attain a higher level of education but additional knowledge for their work needs or personal growth.
Continuing education in the 2011/2012 academic year was provided by 358 education providers (in the 2010/2011 academic year a little more - 364), with the largest numbers (as in the 2010/2011 academic year) being driving schools and specialised educational organisations, followed by education units at companies, units at schools (each at 8.7%), folk high schools (8.3%) and various non-governmental organisations (8%).
The education providers carried out 22,736 non-formal programmes, of which 3,422 are publicly recognised and 19,314 are not publicly recognised. Language courses (3,131) were dominated by those without any public recognition (2,404), especially courses for learning English and German, while there has been increasing interest among foreigners in learning Slovenian. There was also significant interest in learning Japanese, Chinese, Swedish, Arabic and other foreign languages.
Continuing education courses were attended by 302,340 people, mainly in professional programmes for occupational requirements (183,328 participants). Interest in language education is still high. Language programmes recorded the participation of 19,258 people.
Source: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica prikazi.aspx?id=5577
Summarised by Erika Brenk (erika.brenk@acs.si), SIAE
Expenditure on formal education in Slovenia in 2011
EThe Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia has published on its website data on spending on formal education in Slovenia for 2011, including public, international and private expenditure.
Public spending on formal education, which includes state and municipality spending on education, amounted to EUR 2,053 million in 2011 or 5.7% of GDP. The absolute amount of public budget spending on formal education has grown each year from 2007 to 2011, except in 2010, when its proportion of GDP remained at the 2009 level. The largest share of total public spending on formal education was allocated to primary education (45%), followed by tertiary education (22%), secondary education (19%) and preschool education (13%).
The biggest share of public funds for formal education comprised spending on educational institutions (90%), specifically teaching and non-teaching educational institutions, while other funds were allocated for transfers, payments to households (national and Zois scholarships, government and municipal HR scholarships, grants for unemployed education etc.) and transfers to other private entities (subsidies to transport companies for lower-priced tickets for pupils and students, subsidies for textbooks etc.).
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Total spending on educational institutions in 2011 amounted to EUR 2,140 million, or 6% of GDP. Of that total, 87% was public expenditure, a little over 11% was private expenditure and 1.5% came from international sources. The largest share of funds was allocated to institutions on the primary education level (45%), followed by institutions for tertiary education (22.3%), secondary education (19.4%) and preschool education (13.3%). In 2011 current and capital spending at educational institutions amounted to EUR 2,177 million, with 92% of expenditure intended for wages and other employee spending and on current expenditure, while a little over 8% was on capital expenditure.
Source: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica prikazi.aspx?id=5566
Summarised by Erika Brenk (erika.brenk@acs.si), SIAE
Upper secondary education for adults
STATISTICAL OFFICE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVEN«
According to data from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, there were 15,963 adults enrolled in secondary education at the end of the 2011/2012 academic year, which is a little more than the previous academic year (2010/2011: 15,518). In this academic year, there were slightly more women than men enrolled in secondary programmes (8,177 women and 7,786 men). Secondary education was successfully completed by 4,251 adults (58%), of which 2,409 were women. The largest proportion of adults completed secondary technical and other professional education (66%) and secondary vocational education (28%).
Among the institutions providing programmes to acquire secondary qualifications, the highest enrolment was of adults at adult education units in schools (60%), at folk high schools (23%) and at specialised adult education organisations (14%). There was slightly lower enrolment of adults in secondary education at company education centres or at other educational institutions. The largest proportion of adults attended educational courses in business and administration (18%).
Source: http: //www .stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi .aspx?id=5685
Summarised by Erika Brenk (erika.brenk@acs.si), SIAE
First International Accreditation of Online Learning in South-Eastern Europe into the Hands of DOBA Faculty
DOBA Faculty is the first and only higher education institution in South-Eastern Europe to receive the UNIQUe international quality certification, which is awarded for use of ICT in teaching and learning by the EFQUEL, the European association that focuses exclusively on quality in online learning. This achievement ranks DOBA Faculty alongside 14 accredited European higher education IH institutions in the field of online learning.
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DOBA Faculty obtained this institutional accreditation after a two-year process of preparation and self-assessment in which a committee of international experts assessed three key areas divided into 83 detailed criteria that higher education institutions have to meet in order to obtain the international quality certification. The key areas in the assessment were Learning/Institutional Context, Learning Resources and Learning Processes. The committee paid special attention to the opinions of students, graduates, higher education teachers and business partners, and conducted 39 extensive interviews.
The international accreditation represents a great acquisition for students and graduates of DOBA Faculty, as it confirms that online learning at DOBA Faculty attains high international standards.
After ten years of development and innovations, DOBA Faculty is proud of the flattering reviews that it received from external reviewers, who are among the most prominent online learning experts in Europe. For DOBA Faculty's teaching and expert staff, this international accreditation is a confirmation of the excellence of previous pedagogical and research work, excellent information infrastructure and ICT services as well as top-quality know-how in online learning.
Jasna Dominko Baloh (jasna.dominko.baloh@doba.si), DOBA Faculty
Documentary based on a true story
A short documentary about the mental health of young people entitled I choose to live (video trailer) was filmed at the Radovljica Adult Education Centre. It was created in collaboration with Director Nejc Levstik, the film crew Vizualist and participants in the programme Project Learning for Young Adults - PLYA (PUM) Radovljica. The main role is superbly portrayed by Nina Rakovec. The project is the result of Youth Initiatives, one of the actions of the European Youth in Action Programme.
The main story is the true story of a young girl - a former participant of the PLYA programme - who has been struggling with self-destructive behaviour and an eating disorder, tried to end her life and was hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital. Nevertheless she finished school and is now successfully studying. According to her diary she wrote the story and she was actively involved in making the film. She guided the director and also the actress to be able more easily to immerse herself in the girl's situation.
In the film, participants of the PLYA programme appear in various situations. At the same time they got to know the whole process of making a documentary, and became familiar with the basics of recording, acting and directing.
In addition to the touching story the film shows the possible ways of support, help and treatment for mental health problems, about which various experts speak. The purpose of the film is to help young people when they find themselves in similar distress. At the same time the film raises awareness of wider audiences and contributes to breaking down prejudices towards young people with mental health problems.
The premiere of the film was at the Linhart Hall in Radovljica and Šiška Cinema in Ljubljana. It was also presented in a thematic meeting of the European Commission in Brussels. They offer it to schools and all institutions who work with young people as a tool in prevention workshops.
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PLYA programme is financed by the European Union from the European Social Fund and the Ministry of Education, Science, and Sport (till August 2013). Currently the project runs under the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.
Jasmina Šubic (pum@siol.net), Radovljica Adult Education Centre
Slovenian National Assembly adopts ReNPIO 2013-2020
On 24 October 2013 the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia unanimously adopted the Resolution of the Master Plan on Adult Education in the Republic of Slovenia for the period 2013-2020 (ReNPIO 20132020). It was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia on 30 October 2013.
Through the Master Plan on Adult Education in the Republic of Slovenia, by 2020 Slovenia should raise the educational level of the population, general education, improve the possibilities for education and in this way increase the employability of the active population. In the area of general education of the population, the Resolution sets the target of increasing the share of adults in the 25 to 64 age group enrolled in general education to 8 percent by 2020 (in 2011 a total of 5 percent of adults in that age group were enrolled in general education).
The share of the population aged over 15 years but without completed primary education should, under the Resolution, fall from 4.4 percent in 2011 to 2.2% by 2020. The proportion of those aged 25 to 64 with completed secondary education should rise from 57 percent in 2011 to 63 percent in 2020. Promoting and cofinancing enrolment in higher professional education programmes should, according to the provisions of the Resolution, increase the proportion of adults aged 30 to 34 who have completed tertiary education.
The Ministry admits that the currently provided funding will not suffice for full implementation of the proposed plan, so the defined programmes will have to be partly financed from other sources, such as local community budgets, the funds of employers and individuals and funds for projects from international sources. Fulfilment of the objectives should, to a great extent, depend in part on a partner agreement with the European Commission on drawing funds from the European Social Fund after 2014.
Summarised by Nevenka Kocijančič (nevenka.kocijancic@acs.si), SIAE
Education programme for older people
The Slovenian Third Age University has proposed an 80-hour programme of specialisation for the education of older people. The need for high-quality and effective education of older people for new activities, new social roles and self-fulfilment is supported by the European Union through the ESF and by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. The programme is being provided by two universities: the University of Maribor's Faculty of Education and the University of Ljubljana's Faculty of Arts. Implementation of the programme involves mentors who have been trained in work over several years at Slovenian Third Age University study circles. The content of the programme arose from the need to design a degree programme for mentors in education for older people, since the training of mentors to assist people in their last 30 to 40 years of life
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is just as important as the training of preschool teachers, classroom teachers and subject teachers. Source: Novice U3 - 14 2013
Summarised by Ajda Turk (ajda.turk@acs.si), external associate of SIAE
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