Eur-Alpha – European network for adult literacy and numeracy

The three year-long Eur-Alpha project was a European network for the exchange of good practices and experience in the area of adult literacy and basic skills development in Europe among educators, teachers, policy planners, researchers and literacy programme participants. It connected 16 partner organisations from 12 countries. The Slovenian Institute for Adult Education only joined the network in 2011.

The Eur-Alpha project gave rise to associations and networks of literacy programme participants in numerous countries. Literacy programme participants in these countries (e.g. Spain, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands) became equal counterparts to the teachers, researchers and policy planners in the planning of literacy policies in their respective countries.

The following questions arose during the project:

• was the cooperation of adult programme participants sufficiently included in the work up to that time;
• do researchers and teachers truly hear what programme participants are trying to communicate;
• are teachers sufficiently prepared and qualified to recognise the true needs of adults and
• do they observe the said needs in programme planning and implementation?

The messages of the Eur-Alpha project as well as the messages of Unesco and the highly professional group in relation to adult literacy are highly important for Slovenia both in terms of reflection on the work performed and for the drawing of inspiration for the future. The messages from the documents created are also intended for policy planners – some of them are even specifically intended for the latter.

All publications that were created within the scope of the project are available in electronic format on the project website: European Network for Adult Literacy and Numeracy – Eur-Alpha, including the Manifesto – the voice of those learning to read and write in Europe and the tutors’ Charter – teacher training for independent decision-making by adults who are undergoing literacy education – also available in Slovenian.

The project concluded with result presentation on 4 September 2015 in Bonn at the international conference entitled: Literacy Learning – its place in Europe: The issues and concerns of learners and tutors.