08/01/2026
Statement by the Arab Campaign for Education for All- ACEA On the Arab Adult Learning Day
8 January
On the occasion of Arab Adult Learning Day, 8 January, the Arab Campaign for Education for All- ACEA affirms that adult learning constitutes a central pillar of lifelong learning systems and an inherent, indivisible, and non-deferrable human right, as enshrined in international conventions, UNESCO frameworks, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 4 on inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all.
In line with contemporary global intellectual and educational orientations, the Campaign views adult learning as extending beyond a compensatory pathway to become a transformative practice that upholds human dignity and expands individuals’ capacity for informed participation in economic, social, and political life. Learning is a continuous human process, intrinsically linked to freedom, citizenship, and meaning-making, rather than confined to a specific age group or social status.
The Campaign cautions against the persistent reduction of adult learning to narrow notions associated with “illiteracy” or to temporary, fragmented programmes. Such approaches perpetuate social stigma, weaken societal impact, and hollow out the right to learning of its substance. It underscores the need to reconstruct legal and policy discourse in ways that recognize adult learners as bearers of experience and agents of knowledge, and that embed adult learning as an integral component of educational, economic, and social policies.
The Arab Campaign for Education for All- ACEA stresses that adult learning is a guaranteed right and a sovereign responsibility of states. This necessitates aligning national legislation with a lifelong learning approach and ensuring the inclusion of adult learning within national plans and strategies, beyond the logic of short-term projects or conditional funding.
To read the full statement, please visit ACEA website on the following link: https://www.aceaa.net/en/page-1374.html
