Recognition of Non-formal and Informal Learning in OECD Countries: an Overview of Some Key Issues

We are constantly learning, all of us, everywhere and all the time! While there is nothing new about this observation, the idea of exploiting learning that takes place outside the formal system of initial education and training seems to have emerged on a large scale only recently. Taking advantage of such learning requires it to be visible and therefore recognised. The aim of the paper is to give an overview of key issues involved in recognising non-formal and informal learning, ranging from the legitimacy of the learning activities in terms of the outcomes to be recognised, through the cost of the necessary assessment, and essential elements such as quality assurance, the standards used, the potential benefits and the real obstacles. The findings summarised here are based on a report that describes and analyses practices in the 22 countries that participated actively in an OECD study (2009), with participating countries from the five continents.