What are the special challenges of learning in the domain of youth, young adulthood, and adulthood?

As learning outcomes remain low in low-income developing countries, the focus has shifted to the quality of the learning in schools, both public and non-formal. Access policies are now seen as insufficient given the relative... [ view full abstract ]

As learning outcomes remain low in low-income developing countries, the focus has shifted to the quality of the learning in schools, both public and non-formal. Access policies are now seen as insufficient given the relative lack of learning but little is known about how to address improvements in learning for the marginalized youth, young adults, and adults who have undergone systems of education for nearly two decades under low learning outcomes. Consequently, there is neither coherent perspective on special challenges and how to tackle the problems of raising learning outcomes in the domain of marginalized youth, young adulthood, and adulthood, nor adequate information on the special challenges to raising learning outcomes faced by those in this domain. So, if priority needs to be given to supporting greater transition of the marginalized into post-primary levels of education, what kinds of opportunities can build relevant life and labour skills and support civic participation for them? What types of measurement tools can or should be used (or not used) in order to determine effective learning and effective policies among youth, young adults and adults for enhancing educational achievement and beyond? This paper is an attempt to offer some perspectives on these questions by focusing on TVET in sub-Saharan Africa.