The main objective of the Grundtvig measure is that of responding to the educational challenge of the continuous ageing population in Europe by supporting any form of assistance that seeks to support adults with pathways to improve their knowledge and competences.  Education should not by synonymous with schools, but education should be a lifelong process irrespective of age, time and place. This measure takes it name from a Danish philosopher who advocated that education should be linked with life in general and for everyone.

Operational objectives of the Programme

• To improve the quality and accessibility of mobility throughout Europe of people involved in adult education and to increase its volume, so as to support the mobility of at least 7.000 of such individuals per year by 2013
• To improve the quality and to increase the volume of co-operation between organisations involved in adult education throughout Europe
• To assist people from vulnerable social groups and in marginal social contexts, in particular older people and those who have left education without basic qualifications, in order to give them alternative opportunities to access adult education
• To facilitate the development of innovative practices in adult education and their transfer, including from a participating country to others
• To support the development of innovative ICT-based content, services, pedagogies and practice for lifelong learning
• To improve pedagogical approaches and the management of adult education organisations

N.B. In the Grundtvig Measure an adult refers to a person over the age of 15 or any person below that age who is no longer undergoing any initial education within the formal educational system.

Who can benefit from this measure?

This measure is aimed towards all organisations and individuals that are involved in adult education. These include:

• teachers or trainers in adult education
• institutions and organisations providing learning opportunities in adult education
• establishments involved in the initial or further training of adult education staff
• associations and representatives of those involved in adult education
• bodies providing guidance, counselling and information services relating to any aspect of adult education
• stakeholders and policy makers responsible for systems and policies concerning any aspect of adult education at local, regional and national level
• research centres and bodies concerned with adult education issues
• NGOs, and other voluntary bodies related to adult education.

Priority will be given to certain groups that include

• people without basic education and qualifications
• people living in rural or disadvantaged areas
• the ‘hard to reach’ groups
• the disabled, including those with special educational needs.

Through Grundtvig the European Commission supports the following activities:

• European Cooperation Projects
• Learning Partnerships
• Mobility for Adult Educators
• Networks

Measures 1 & 4 are centralised measures, thus managed by the Executive Agency, whereas measures 2 & 3 are fully decentralised and managed by the Maltese National Agency – EUPU.

Contact details for the National Agency are:

EUPU,
36, Old Mint Street,
Valletta VLT 12
Tel: 25586 110
Email: Socrates@gov.mt