Our Approach
Policy. Advocacy. Research.
The systematic monitoring of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4 — the Fourth Goal of the Sustainable Development Goals) is a cornerstone of the coalition's work. It stipulates providing comprehensive, equitable, and quality education for all. The Arab Network for Popular Education serves as the primary civil society watchdog body in Lebanon, to ensure that governmental commitments to the agenda of "Education 2030" are not merely rhetorical, but are reflected in financial allocations and legislative reforms. This monitoring is not conducted in isolation; the Network leverages its membership in the Arab Campaign for Education for All (ACEA) to coordinate national policy efforts with regional priorities.
The transition between global frameworks and local implementation is managed through active engagement with the Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE). The ANPE was instrumental in the regional preparatory meetings for the Seventh International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VII), held in Marrakech in 2022. By participating in the development of the Marrakech Framework for Action, the coalition has ensured that the specific challenges of the Arab region are addressed within the global roadmap for adult learning and education.
ANPE's advocacy strategy is predicated on the belief that long-term change necessitates the amendment of local laws to harmonize educational development with the values of citizenship and human rights. The Network seeks to protect the formal public education sector, especially as economic pressures drive a mass migration of students from private to formal institutions — which simultaneously represents a structural crisis and an opportunity for reform.
The research in ANPE focuses on documenting the barriers to education that are often overlooked in official statistics. By adopting a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) methodology, the network ensures that its findings are grounded in the lived experiences of marginalized communities.