Theorizing, Restructuring, and Rethinking Nonformal Education in East and West African Communities

Oct 15, 2026

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Analyzes how nonformal education in East and West African communities has been shaped by international education rights discourse and subsequent policy waves, including Education for All, the Dakar Framework for Action, and literacy initiatives. The text explains persistent global education gaps, then examines globalization, structural adjustment, and widening North/South disparities that pressure national budgets. It further argues that decentralization and democratization produced uneven local interpretations, responses, and limited sustained action, calling for a rethinking of participatory development in decentralized nonformal education systems.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background of the Problem

Policy context and education rights

Theorizing, Restructuring and Rethinking Nonformal Education in East and West African Communities1 Andrea Clemons Loyola Marymount University Christina Vogt University of Southern California Introduction Since its inception, the United Nations (UN) has emphasized creating educated citizenry. Beginning in 1948, the right to education was articulated clearly in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It recognized education as an"indispensable means of unlocking and protecting other human rights by providing the scaffolding that is required to secure good health, liberty, security, economic well-being, and participation in social and political activity." (UN, 2004) . When the right to education is guaranteed, people's access to and enjoyment of other democratic rights are enhanced (UN, 2004) . Nonetheless, despite the great increase in school enrollments in developing countries over the last 40 years, 875 million adults are still illiterate, over 100 million children have no access to school, and countless youth and adults who attend school and other education programs fall short of the required level to be considered literate in today's complex world (UN, 2004) . In 1990, the world's most influential global education initiative, Education for All (EFA), was birthed to educate the illiterate populations of impoverished nations. In doing this, the UN specified that there exists a priority to promote EFA policies within a sustainable and well-integrated sector framework clearly linked to poverty elimination and development strategies. Initiatives must ensure the participation of civil society in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of strategies for educational development. In the context of UN policy discourse since the EFA conference in Jomtien (1990), The Dakar Framework for Action (1999), and the Decade for Literacy (2003), the possibility of nonformal basic education in sub-Saharan Africa has been debated by global education actors, policymakers, and grassroots advocacy networks because these actors, not the central government, have the onus for implementation of nonformal initiatives. Despite numerous discussions concerned with the EFA agenda, there exists little indepth information detailing the actual experiences and sustained efforts of these initiatives in the nonformal education sector. Against the background of UN meetingsand the demand for education in Africa, we are obligated as policy shapers and analysts to improve our research and our understanding of such programs, specifically as they impact the social development of local communities. Consequently, this article presents West and East African nonformal education projects as a platform from which to view the interrelationship of participation and © 2004 Current Issues in Comparative Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 88 May 10, 2004 Theorizing, Restructuring, and Rethinking Nonformal Education in East and West African Communities transformation in the educational experiences of community, NGO, and state participants. In the context of neo-liberal pressures, carried by an international freemarket movement in the 1980s, a wave of administrative decentralization initiatives in education rippled across Africa. In the 1990s, a wave of democratization added itself to global decentralization pressures. As these cases demonstrate, the education decentralization process in nonformal education has resulted in varied and often unintended local interpretations, reactions, and ultimately inaction despite nationally and internationally accepted EFA reform directives. The implications of our findings argue for a rethinking of participatory development for nonformal education programs in decentralized systems. Background of the Problem Undoubtedly, globalization has introduced financial strains to poorer nations' already overextended educational budgets. First, structural adjustment polic

FAQs

Why does the text connect education rights to broader democratic participation?

It argues that guaranteeing the right to education improves people's access to and enjoyment of other democratic rights, strengthening social and political participation.

What problem does the article identify despite growth in schooling?

It states that large populations remain illiterate and that many children and youth without full access still fall short of the level needed to be considered literate today.

How does decentralization affect nonformal education initiatives according to the text?

It claims decentralization led to varied, sometimes unintended local interpretations and reactions, resulting in inaction even when reform directives were accepted nationally and internationally.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by OmBimo