Adult Learners' Bill of Rights                       [ The Articles ]

Authentic democracy is only made possible when citizens are engaged in a permanent search for knowledge about themselves and their society.

This search for knowledge should be lifelong, lifewide and accessible to all regardless of means or disposition.

Essential for realising this commitment is the availability of a wide variety of adult education opportunities. The institutions and agencies of any society which seeks to be democratic will strive to ensure that the following rights are possessed by all adults who seek to learn in any setting.

These rights have been drawn up as a manifesto for adult learners and are for the consideration and adoption of everyone involved in and committed to the field of adult education. Students, providers and policy makers alike should all feel that they have an interest in acknowledging and actively supporting the entrenchment of these rights.

If they are to have any meaning they must be implemented and adopted as basic standards of provision for adult learners. Access to adult education should be considered a fundamental human right. We all want to fulfil our potential regardless of privilege, class, culture, gender or disposition.

We see this bill of rights as a work in progress and are keen that it should be the subject of discussion, debate and written comment and where this takes place we would like to know the outcomes.

Note: NIACE (National Institute for Adult and Continuing Education) leaflet about adult learners forums in the UK gave details only of their own and ALFiE's forum and cited ALFiE’s Bill of Rights as a model of good practice.


To download Adult Learners' Bill of Rights leaflet (in pdf format) click here.

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