GRALE III is then divided into three main parts. Part 1 monitors how well countries are doing in fulfilling their commitments under each of the five areas of the Belém Framework for Action. Its findings are based on the responses of 139 UNESCO Member States to the GRALE III monitoring survey, which was conducted by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning in consultation with the UNESCO Institute for Statistics and the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report team as well as academic experts in the field of ALE and partners such as the World Health Organization, the International Labour Organization and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Part 1 also identifies ways in which ALE could be better monitored in future years.
Part 2 comprises three thematic chapters exploring the benefits ALE can bring in three important domains: health and wellbeing (Chapter 2); employment and the labour market (Chapter 3); and social, civic and community life (Chapter 4). Each chapter reviews the latest evidence, relevant literature and interesting case studies from around the world. Using the GRALE III monitoring survey as a starting point, the chapters also explore the extent to which countries recognize the value of ALE and act upon this recognition in each of the three domains. The chapters confirm the benefits of ALE and provide compelling arguments for investing in ALE in the future.
Part 3 offers guidance for the road ahead. It consists of two chapters. Chapter 5 shares lessons and discusses the implications for ALE of major global trends like migration, ageing populations, changes in the nature of employment, growing inequality and environmental degradation. Chapter 6 examines how ALE has been recognised in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, identifying the goals, targets and indicators that are of greatest relevance to ALE. It considers how the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development might pave the way for greater intersectoral collaboration on ALE and for a better balance of educational opportunities across all ages. It also casts a critical eye on the availability of data to measure progress on ALE, and reflects on how the knowledge gaps might be closed.
The report concludes with an invitation to readers to join the global ALE community, and to use GRALE as a platform for debate and action. The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning has developed and designed the GRALE series as a contribution to more evidence-informed policymaking. All partners, especially policymakers, are encouraged to review the findings and implement necessary changes in their policies and practices in regional, national and local contexts.
