Non-formal education: Ukraine in the context of regional democratic transformation

Non-formal education: Ukraine in the context of regional democratic transformation

Non-formal education as a component of lifelong learning is important and can be effective tools for democratic transformation in the Eastern Partnership region. The project Non-formal education for regional democratic transformation by NGO Europe XXI Foundation (Ukraine) was dedicated to mechanisms for effective functioning of non-formal education in the educational policies of the EaP in order to promote legislative and social studies for the involvement of its various forms and manifestations (lifelong learning, law and civic education, education for certain social groups etc.) in social democratic transformation of the EaP and EU.

These issues were discussed on the extended expert meeting of the Group 4 "Contacts between people" of the National Platform of CSF of the EaP and experts from six EaP countries with the assistance of the European program of the International Renaissance Foundation and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. In this context, regional experts have a common vision for our community at this stage: to build a culture of consumption of services in the field of non-formal education.

For the formation of the culture three aspects, which experts generally defined as a system change (improvement of legislation in order to determine the non-formal education in the education system of the country, strengthening the role of local authorities in the development of non-formal education), functional (availability to receive non-formal education services, equity providers of educational services) and institutional (the definition of stakeholders, training for work in the field of non-formal education), should be working.

Understanding of certain aspects, as well as a comparative analysis of the non-formal education in the EaP countries will be represented at the next Civil Society Forum of the Eastern Partnership in Stockholm (November 28-30, 2012)

Participants of the Group 4 "Contacts between people" of the National Platform of CSF of the EaP identified key components of the position paper. In particular, the need to analyze what documents with the Council of Europe, EU, and OSCE relating to non-formal education were signed by Ukraine, and how they are performed, should define the criteria and non-formal education, as well as competence-based approach in it. One of the significant steps towards the recognition of non-formal education should be a festival of non-formal education in January 2012 in Kiev.

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