12.02.2018

EAEA statement: Erasmus+ impacts adult education far beyond the measured

EAEA is deeply concerned about the presentation of the results for adult education in the Erasmus+ mid-term evaluation.

The mid-term evaluation describes the impact of the Erasmus+ programme on adult education as “diluted due to the fragmented and diverse nature of the sector”. EAEA firmly believes that the diversity of the sector is one of its strengths, and the impact of Erasmus+ goes far beyond the measured.

The mid-term evaluation refers to the systemic impact of adult education. Considering the small budget and the small size of the projects that can be implemented with the funding available, it is very difficult for adult education to achieve measurable systemic impact.

EAEA is also surprised at the apparent lack of success stories from the sector on the Erasmus+ project results platform, also noted in the mid-term evaluation. EAEA would like to voice some concerns over the usability of the platform, and add that nevertheless 14% of success stories in strategic partnerships come from the adult education sector.

Budget increase needed

“The future Erasmus+ programme could help increase participation levels in adult learning, especially of learners from more diverse backgrounds. The European Education Area sets out a participation rate in adult learning and training of 25% by 2025; however, without drastically increased financial support for the sector, adult education will not be able to reach the lower ET2020 benchmark of 15%,” reads the statement.

To maximise the impact of Erasmus+ on adult education, EAEA proposes an increase of the budget of adult education from the current 5% to 20%.

More information

Photos: Helloquence / Unsplash

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