An overview of Non-formal Education in Asia and its current issues : possible roles of Japanese social education and lifelong learning for NFE in Asia

Non-formal Education (NFE) in Asia has a significant role to provide opportunities of education and learning for outreach population, such as the illiterate, the poor, women, children, youth, and ethnic minorities in the region. Still, dynamic policies and planning, and systematic mechanisms and approaches are all needed to meet diversified and urgent needs of learners who do not have proper opportunities of learning and face serious socioeconomic situation. This paper introduces an overview of NFE in Asia, with its issues and problems, and examines possible roles and contributions of Japanese social education and lifelong learning sectors to above-mentioned issues of NFE Asia, since they have rich experience and innovative approaches in their activities