AEWB’s Mission Statement
The Agency for Adult and Continuing Education (Agentur für Erwachsenen- und Weiterbildung - AEWB) is an organisationally autonomous institution established on
the basis of the Lower Saxon Adult Education Act (Niedersächsisches Erwachsenenbildungsgesetz). It is provided for by the Lower Saxon League for Liberal Adult Education and operates at a nexus where politics, public administration, research and practical pedagogical work overlap.
Our understanding of education rests on the following principles.
Education is important:
- Education strengthens the ability for critical thinking and informed judgement.
- Education facilitates civil society participation.
- Education promotes individual personal development.
In this sense, we are committed to democratic and humanist values as well as the emancipatory ideal of education. They are fundamental to a society built on the ideas of solidarity and freedom. This means that education must be accessible equally and to all.
We work to promote equal opportunities and social inclusion through education.
We condemn anti-democratic and discriminatory stances and actions.
As a service provider and point of contact for publicly funded adult education institutions in Lower Saxony we promote Life-Long Learning as well as the sector’s plurality, performance and visibility.
Our Tasks and Activities
We respond to current societal challenges and fulfil public duties assigned to us by the Lower Saxon Ministry of Science and Culture.
We account for examination and acknowledgement procedures in Lower Saxon adult and continuing education. This includes public funding granted by the Federal State of Lower Saxony, acknowledgement of courses eligible for educational or special leave, VAT exemption for vocational education measures and certification procedures.
We provide a range of services, foster cooperation and give professional stimuli to all publicly funded adult education providers in Lower Saxony in areas extending from staff training to networking, innovation, consultation, and public relations work.
We execute these tasks by organising events, funding and coordinating (model) projects, supplying tools, and publishing materials. While fulfilling mainly regional responsibilities we embed our approaches in the wider perspective of German and European adult education.
Our Operating Principles
As a learning organisation we conduct our work in a service-oriented, cooperative, and independent manner, relying on skilled employees from different professional backgrounds as a principal resource.
We aim to fulfil our tasks in a correct, transparent, economical fashion and in accordance with our duties, values, and objectives.
We consider the learning experience a success if participants were able to improve and/or enhance their skills as well as to shape the learning process actively. Informal exchange and consultation are essential tools to achieve this goal.
September 2019