Netherlands

In 2003 the Dutch "Week of Learning" was held for the 4^th time on 6 - 13 September. The purpose of this week was to stimulate the interest of adults for different kinds of learning and the existing possibilities of learning, including for personal growth, for fun or learning for work and individual carrier development.

The fast and technological development and globalization make it necessary for people to keep on learning throughout their lives. The Week of Learning was part of the Life Long Learning policy of the Dutch government in order to motivate and stimulate people to become involved in their communities.

The theme of the 2003 week was ‘Life Long Learning’ in general. The aim was to give room for all kinds of learning topics and to give possibilities for the full range of organizations to take part. The amount of activities was not as large as in the years before, because of smaller budgets for local and central coordination. Despite the restricted amount avalable, the coordination office and a great number of umbrella organizations made the local festivals a success. There was also an Award ceremony for the learner and the teacher of the year.

As in previous years, the coordination office was active in getting private sector commitment (branch-organisations, companies) for the festival. It was the sponsors that made it possible to publish a special ALW-newspaper. On the 8^th of September - the International Literacy Day - there were special activities on behalf of the Dutch Literacy Campaign. To gain extra attention for the campaign Her Royal Highness Princess Laurentien visited some of the sites where literacy courses are held. A program on these visits was broadcasted by the Dutch Educational Television Company.

Nationwide activities:
People nominated projects as well as other people for several awards: the most persistent learner, the most motivated teacher, the most successful project in adult learning and the most innovative project with an international dimension. A jury, which consisted of several Dutch celebrities, selected a winner.

Local activities:
Throughout the whole country several activities were organized to inform people about learning and the possibilities in learning. Many good activities have taken place the last years. For example, street- festivals, buses and trucks with information, music groups, city tours, writing-lessons. The Week of Learning is a great happening, every year!

Poetics of Learning!
Poems written by participants of the "Learning to Read" course

Never too late

writing
never done
our language
never learned well
a computer
never had
it is never
too late
- Leen

Words

I see words and words,
but understanding them I don't.
To learn I have to read,
and reading I must learn.

- Ite

Published in "If you only knew the words" (Als je de woorden kent). Cinop 2001.

2002
The third Week of Learning took place in the Netherlands on 6 - 14 September 2002, with the central theme of "Accreditation of prior learning (APL)". Furthermore, the motto of the Festival "Learning can be done everywhere" was encouraging the organisers to go out of their institutions and meet the learners. In this spirit, for example, the Service centre West in Enschede arranged an information bus which toured through 20 different cities and visited childcare-centres and schools in order to meet the mothers, which otherwice would have been difficult to reach.

The official opening of the week was celebrated centrally on September 6 in Amersfoort, including different elements: a conference on APL and an award ceremony where prizes for the learner, the teacher and the most innovative project of the year were granted. Local and regional events all over the country were set up. Though having a central theme, all kinds of learning topics and possibilities featured during the week. A special effort by the coordination office was made to get commitment for this festival from the private sector (branch-organisations, companies)!