Zoe Karanikola
1
, Nektaria Palaiologou
2
Hellenic Open University, Greece
Refugees and Adult Education:
A Tematic Analysis on UNESCO’s
Latest Recommendations
Abstract: Contemporary societies are called to face complex challenges, deriving from glo-
balization, the rapid technological evolutions, the intense demographic changes, and the
social exclusion. These challenges are part of UNESCO’s global mandate, as reflected in the
Education 2030 Framework for Action for the implementation of Sustainable Development
Goals, and have more impact on migrations and refugees. UNESCO’s Global Report on
Adult Learning and Education comes to play a crucial role in achieving the fourth goal of
the Agenda, that of education and lifelong education. The present research, through the qu-
alitative analysis of the text of UNESCO (GRALE 4, 2019), aims at pointing out the basic
dimensions of adult refugees’ education and how it can be applied. Through the analysis
of the text certain thematic networks emerge, related with the participation percentages of
adult refugees’ participation, mapping out of policies, whose particular characteristic is the
investment in lifelong learning, transmission of good practices and their evaluation.
Key words: Adult education, participation, refugees, policies, practices.
Teoretical Underpinning
Adult education and refugees
Europe is facing an unprecedented migrant crisis, since hundreds of thousands
of refugees and migrants continue to make their way across the Mediterranean
to Europe with hopes of a better life. It is estimated that more than 65 million
people today are asylum seekers, internally displaced persons or refugees, whereas
1
Zoe Karanikola, PhD is a Tutor at the Hellenic Open University, School of Education, Greece,
(zoe karanikola.zoi@ac.eap.gr).
2
Nektaria Palaiologou, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the Hellenic Open University, School of Education,
Greece, (palaiologou.nektaria@ac.eap.gr).
Andragoške studije, issn 0354–5415, broj 1, jun 2021, str. 57–74
© Institut za pedagogiju i andragogiju; Originalni naučni rad
UDK 374.7:37.014-054.73
doi: 10.5937/AndStud2101057K