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Slovenia hosted the Regional meeting of the European Commission for implementation of the Adult Learning Action Plan

As a part of activities of the European Commission’s working group for implementation of the Action Plan on Adult Learning – It is always a good time to learn (2007) a regional meeting “Adult Learning Action Plan: from policy to practice” was organised by Slovenian Institute for Adult Education under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Education and Sport.

A special European Commission’s working group is taking care of the implementation of the Adult Learning Action Plan – It is always a good time to learn (COM 2007 558 final, 27. 9. 2007). Slovenian representative in this group is Slavica Černoša, PhD, head of Adult Education in Ministry of Education and Sport.

This year's activities of the working group include four regional meetings, organized in Germany (7-9 October), Norway (14-16 October), Spain (26-28 October) and Slovenia. The host of the last meeting, entitled Adult Learning Action Plan: from policy to practice, which was being held in the City Hotel in Ljubljana (4-6 November), is the Slovenian Ministry of Education and Sport (MES).

Purpose of the conference, which was attended by 48 participants from nine countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia), 2 representatives of the European Commission, Directorate-General for Education and Culture, and 3 consultants, has been to review the progress in implementation of the Action Plan and to encourage synergy and cooperation between countries in the region.

On the first day participants were welcomed by Vinko Logaj, MSc, Director-General of the Directorate of Secondary, Higher Vocational and Adult Education. The guests then took a closer insight into progress of the Action Plan. The meeting is expected to contribute to its further implementation on regional level with encouraging synergy and cooperation between the countries present at the meeting. At the same time it should strengthen cooperation among various actors in the field of adult education within each country, as the national delegations were composed of representatives of policy, profession and practice, who should pursue the action plan jointly.

The presentations of good practice and their potential in overcoming economic crisis, characterised by increasing unemployment and the need for new knowledge were aimed to greater efficiency in implementation of policies. Special role was given to the host country, as the third day of the meeting was intended to presentations:

• lifelong learning and adult education in Slovenia, presented by Slavica Černoša, PhD, MES; 
• network of Slovenian lifelong learning centres, presented by Katja Dovžak, MSc, MES, with contributions from Maja Radinovič Hajdič, MSc, director of adult education centre Jesenice and Franja Centrih, director of UPI - adult education centre Žalec; 
• information and guidance in adult education, presented by Tanja Vilič Klenovšek, MSc, SIAE, with contribution from Meta Gašperšič, director of RIC Novo mesto.

Scope of the Action Plan is 2008-2010, so part of the meeting was also a discussion about how to support adult education in the following years.

Participants at the meeting have seen a video from SIAE’s promotional campaign Role models attracts. Action Plan, as was Memorandum on Lifelong Learning (2000), was derived from the needs and views of individuals, who may be the most effective advocates of adult learning and catalysts of political and professional actions in the field.

Slovenian participants in the regional meeting are proud for the opportunity to present our hosting, and more importantly our professional skills; we have understood it also as recognition of our achievements in adult education in our country and in Europe.

A longer report on the meeting will be published in the last edition of the printed Novičke in the beginning of December (in Slovenian language). Presentations are published in the programme of the regional meeting.

Responsible for the preparation of the meeting:
Slavica Černoša, PhD (slavica.cernosa@gov.si), MES
Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, MSc (zvonka.pangerc@acs.si), SIAE