These guidelines, developed with support from the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) and the UNESCO Cairo Office, will guide national stakeholders in adult education to improve their educational practices. The guidelines are accompanied by a comprehensive training manual designed for adult education facilitators, trainers, managers, and supervisors.
UIL spoke to Ms. Nadia Hashem, a member of the Office of the Director General of Egypt’s Adult Education Authority and former CONFINTEA Fellow at the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, about the importance of the guidelines.
What inspired the drafting of these guidelines?
UIL played an important role in the development of these guidelines as part of a project aimed at improving the quality of adult education in Egypt. This initiative began in 2016 when I was participating in the CONFINTEA Fellowship Program at UIL. Through this program, the Institute seeks to help countries implement the key pillars of the 2009 Belem Framework for Action, which emphasize policy, governance, quality, financing, inclusion and participation in adult learning and education. Ta. During my fellowship, I decided to focus on the pillars of quality that directly align with the mission of the Egyptian Adult Education Authority.
As the main outcome of the month-long fellowship, I developed a strategic vision to create guidelines and action plans to implement quality standards in Egyptian adult education. This vision was formed through discussions and technical consultations with UIL experts.
What was the process of developing these interrelated guidelines and manuals?
Based on the strategic vision that I developed under the supervision of UIL, the Institute worked effectively with the UNESCO Cairo Office and the Adult Education Department to develop guidelines in 2017-2018 and to develop the Guiding Principles document. This led to the creation. Several training manuals were subsequently created within the framework of this document, including:
National document on quality standards for adult education. Training manual for the professional development of adult educators in line with quality guidelines. Training manual for the professional development of adult supervisors based on quality principles. Training manual for the professional development of adult education staff according to quality guidelines.
The development of these manuals was preceded by a current assessment, past experience, and needs identification research for teachers and supervisors. After preparing these artifacts, 15 experts and experts in the field reviewed and discussed them. An intensive trainer training program was designed and tested with 90 experts.
In 2021-2022, in line with societal and global changes, standard documents and related training manuals have been updated in collaboration with the UNESCO Cairo Office, UIL, 40 university professors and field experts. . As a result, the final version of the Adult Education Quality Guidelines was completed and approved by the Adult Education Authority in 2024. A dedicated Quality Assurance Department was subsequently established within the Adult Education Agency, which now operates with a focus on expanding its functions. Implement adult learning and education programs in collaboration with local agencies, ensuring quality of outcomes.
What do these guidelines include and who are they intended for?
The quality guidelines cover 20 key areas, addressing both organizational capabilities and various aspects of inputs, processes and results, as well as follow-up and evaluation measures. Each area includes a set of guidelines along with metrics for validation. These guidelines are essential for adult education employees, teachers, trainers, and content developers to apply within their own institutions.
How can we ensure that these guidelines are implemented reliably?
To ensure proper application of these guidelines, implementation plans should include input from adult education experts and various agencies. The plan includes the creation of monitoring and measurement tools, with technical support from UNESCO’s Cairo Office and UIL. Progress will be assessed against the guidelines, gaps will be identified and a draft vision will be developed to achieve the indicators in each area. This approach integrates academic insights and field practice while providing thorough documentation of outcomes and serving as a reference for ongoing development.
Finally, on behalf of the Egyptian Directorate General of Adult Education, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to UIL and the UNESCO Cairo Office for their effective partnership in promoting adult education in Egypt. Their contributions were instrumental in developing the Adult Education Quality Guidelines and related training manuals, providing technical support, feedback on drafts, and ongoing follow-up from 2016 until the approval of the guidelines.
Detailed information
Download quality guidelines for adult education in Egypt and related tools such as the Conceptual Framework for Supervision and Teachers, Teacher Trainer’s Guide, and Trainer’s Guide (Arabic).
