The EPALE State Conference was held in Teslić on December 11, 2019 as part of a two-day joint conference of EAAL and EPALE projects. This year, the emphasis was placed on improving the andragogic competences of teachers in adult education. The conference was organized and hosted by the Agency for Pre-Primary, Primary and Secondary Education, within which the National Support Team of EPALE in Bosnia and Herzegovina operates. The conference brought together over 70 representatives of various BiH institutions and representatives of the non-governmental sector.
Eminent experts in the field of adult education from the country and the region spoke about improving andragogic competencies. Dr. Miomir Despotović, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, spoke on the topic of Andragogic Competence – Models and Experiences with the Department of Andragogy, while psychologist Zorica Minić from the Testing Center of Montenegro spoke about the importance of communication for adult education. The presentations were also followed by workshops in which the participants of the conference could learn through practical work how to communicate better and how to acquire and apply andragogic competencies.
Now traditionally, the Agency also welcomed members of the national EPALE support teams from Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro. Experiences from the region were shared by Dr. Goran Lapat from the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb, speaking on the topic of Current Affairs in Adult Education in the Republic of Croatia, and Ružica Madžarević, from the Tempus Foundation from Belgrade, who spoke about Improving the competencies of employees in adult education and examples of good practice in the Republic of Serbia.
Each year, the EPALE State Support Team brings together experts in the field of adult education from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the aim of improving the quality, sharing of experiences and good practices in this field.
This year’s conference marked the five years of work of EPALE and EAAL projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina.