Adult education in Italy is complex with responsibilities spread across multiple levels sometimes overlapping. It includes both formal education through centers and non-formal education by associations and organizations. While adult education was only recently defined legislatively, it has been able to meet population needs for culture through sharing experiences. A 2012 law defined lifelong learning as a right and established local networks but specific funding was not provided, leaving underlying issues of participation. The EPALE platform financed by Erasmus+ aims to connect professionals across Europe around sharing adult learning content and EU policies.

1. A Short Overview of Adult Education in Italy
and
the contribution of EPALE
Firenze – Indire, Salone Lombardo Radice
21st January 2019
Daniela Ermini

2. Adult Education in Italy:
Some Preliminary Remarks
• Complexity
• Multi-level responsibilities (sometimes overlapping)
• Many actors for formal, non formal education
• Regional differences

3. Overview
• In Italy adult education has been defined quite recently from
the legislative point of view
• but, it has been able to offer in a short time significant
responses to the population's need for culture
HOW?
• mainly through the dissemination of experiences and good
practices
• "de facto system", not always supported by the institutional
point of view

4. Adult education framework in Italy
− FORMAL EDUCATION is managed by the Ministry of Education
through Provincial Adult Education Centers (CPIA)
− NON FORMAL EDUCATION is run by Associations, no profit
organizations, training bodies and third age Universities

5. Adult education in Italy
ACCREDITATION: Formal education awards diplomas, while for non
formal education there is no specific regulation and the courses mainly
award attendance certificates.
FINANCING: The Ministry of Education supports formal adult education
but there is NO FINANCING for non formal education if we exclude
European funds (Erasmus+ Programmes)
IMMIGRANTS, UNEMPLOYED ADULTS AND PRISONERS represent an
important target group of both formal and non formal adult education

6. Year 2012: Law 92
A turning point
• Defines lifelong learning for the first time in Italy and adopts a
shared approach at European level
• Lifelong learning must become a reality for all citizens to
realize and enhance their potential through the improvement
of education and training systems

7. Law 92/2012
In line with the indications of the European
Union, lifelong learning means any
activity undertaken by people in a formal,
non-formal and informal way, in the
various stages of life, in order to improve
knowledge, skills and competences, in a
personal, civic, social and occupational
perspective.

8. A granted right
Lifelong learning is therefore no longer a service to the person,
but a right.
Local network for Adult learning: CPIAS, schools, stakeholders,
social and institutional bodies

9. All right then? Not exactly.
• Specific funding not provided for these networks
• underlying problem remains the same: how to involve those
who do not participate in any learning activity (see the Report
National OECD Adult Competences of 2018)?
• How to solve the problem of the certification of skills acquired
at work and that of informal learning?

10. Epale
Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in
Europe
• Financed by Erasmus+
• multilingual open membership community for teachers,
trainers, researchers, academics, policy makers and anyone
else with a professional role in adult learning across Europe
• make professional connections
• set up around the sharing of content related to adult learning,
including news, blog posts, resources, and events
• Strong emphasis on EU policies

11. Contacts
EPALE ITALIA
Via Lombroso 6/15
Firenze
d.ermini@indire.it
epale@indire.it
Tel. 055 2380413
Thank for your attention