India

Despite unprecedented growth in world economies and unparalleled improvements in global standards of living over the past few years, poverty and hunger are still realities in several countries. Indeed more than 60 per cent of the world’s poor are rural poor.  One of the major inequalities affecting the rural poor is their unequal access to quality education, which is very important for social and economic development.  Any attempt to readdress the challenges of increasing inequity, poverty and widening human development gaps is possible through access to relevant, equitable and effective education lifelong learning opportunities for rural people. Education for Rural Transformation (ERT) is the only way to reduce the widening human development gaps within and between nations. The dynamics of rural transformation in the "globalized" world has created new educational imperatives that call for a re-evaluation of present educational policies and priorities, and the re-examination of the role of education and learning (formal, non-formal and informal) for rural people from rather new perspectives. In order to achieve the Millennium development Goals, specifically the first two goals, reducing hunger and poverty by half and ensuring universal primary education by 2015, there is a need to change the traditional working modalities and address the needs of the rural India. This can be achieved through new multi-sectarian and interdisciplinary alliances and partnerships in education and creating lifelong learning opportunities to all irrespective of age, gender, religion, caste and class.

This colloquium highlights the need for lifelong learning opportunities in the emerging knowledge based society, especially in Indian context and discuss the perspective, practices and prospects.    

Marcella Milana will serve as moderator

Participation is free of charge