Community learning centre is a local educational institution outside the formal education system,

usually
set up and managed by local people to provide various learning opportunities. The purpose of the
CLC is
to promote human development by providing opportunities for lifelong learning to all people in the
local
community. CLCs support empowerment, social transformation and improvement of the quality of life
of
the people. The main functions of CLCs are to provide: i) education and training, ii) community
information
and resource services, iii) community development activities, and iv) co-ordination and networking.

It was then agreed that the proposed research would make an analysis of CLC practices, focusing on
their strengths, weaknesses and future potentials.

Community learning centres are interpreted, understood and practised in the participant countries as
community-driven entities that embody sustained initiative. They are principally focused on literacy
and
continuing education in support of Education for All (EFA). The activities organized by CLCs cover a
wide
range of community-based development programmes in health, agriculture, education and
entrepreneurial
skills for out-of-school children, youth, women, the under-privileged and the rural poor.

The CLC is increasingly seen as an important modality for socio-economic development through
nonformal
education and adult learning in Bangladesh. In Nepal, education and rural development initiatives
have envisioned local schools as community development centres. Tackling illiteracy and promoting
nonformal education for children are important aspects addressed by community learning centres in
Indonesia. The Indonesian report states that CLCs serve as places for obtaining appropriate
information for lifelong learning to improve people’s quality of life.

Viet Nam reports a literacy rate of 94 percent. Illiteracy, therefore, is not a severe problem in this
country. The
areas of concern are, rather, equivalency and continuing education in order to avoid regression into
illiteracy
and to boost promotion of income-generating activities. The Viet Nam study states that the ultimate
purpose of CLCs is to enhance its population’s quality of life and to accelerate the country’s pace of
development. Similarly, the Lebanese study states that CLCs in Lebanon are focused on the
underdeveloped rural poor areas that have hitherto not received enough attention from governmental
and donor agencies.

In Thailand, the objective of CLCs is viewed not merely in terms of improving the literacy status, but
also
of providing learning experience about better conditions of life and society that make for a sustainable
and self-sufficient community. The Thai experience encourages all members of the community—
children,
youth, farmers, senior citizens and others—to participate in CLC programmes and activities. CLCs
target
all members of a community. The underlying approach is that CLCs should aim to bring about social
transformation by providing opportunities for lifelong education by focusing on improving all people's
overall quality of life through active, broadly-based grassroots involvement.

In Kazakhstan, 98 percent of the population is reported to be literate. The principal focus of CLC
programmes
in Kazakhstan is, thus, on education. Like Thailand, its CLC programmes and activities aim to
empower
individuals and promote community development through lifelong education for all people. The major
programmes are in vocational areas, life skills development and cultural activities that have been
chosen
and decided upon as per the socio-economic needs of the individual community that is being served.

The Uzbekistan study asserts that, with a literacy rate of 99 percent, universal primary education has
essentially already been achieved there. However, the study cautions that emerging disparities in
access
to quality education are growing and will lead to wider income inequality if not tackled efficiently. For
this
reason, the report notes that CLCs have been of great service to those living in rural areas, who make
up
a significant proportion of the country’s population. Programmes provide an opportunity for individuals
to acquire knowledge and skills essential to gain employment, reduce poverty and contribute to the
preservation of important cultural heritage of the country. Importantly, the study further recognizes
that
the concept of lifelong education promotes a strong sense of “community belonging.”

In China, CLCs were set up in 1997-98 in the rural areas of three provinces, namely Gansu, Yunnan
and
the Guangxi autonomous region. CLC programmes and activities in these rural areas focus on
achieving
Education for All goals and lifelong learning, with an emphasis on poverty reduction through the
promotion of literacy education and training in practical life skills. The CLC movement in China has
served
as a foundation for the establishment of a lifelong learning system in rural communities through
linkages
with community education (CE) programmes operating in selected urban areas.

Literacy and basic education have been the principal emphases of community learning centres in the
countries researched. However, the country studies indicate that the community learning centres also
organize a wide range of activities focused on community development issues pertaining essentially
to
health and hygiene, income generation, and equal rights for women.