Abstract Over the last few years, left-wing governments in anglophone countries, from the United States to Aotearoa New Zealand, have increasingly embraced what could be termed progressive nationalism . This political project rhetorically combines progressive ideals, such as inclusion, identity politics and wellbeing, with the exaltation of a national identity. Perhaps shadowed by the global emergence of national/authoritarian populisms, this phenomenon has gone largely unnoticed by global citizenship scholars. In this article, the author first develops the concept of progressive nationalism in New Zealand. After considering the historical context and revisiting the role of school curricula in the spread of globalist/nationalist ideologies, the article explores the imprint of progressive nationalism in the recent curriculum policies of New Zealand’s former Labour Government (2017–2023). The historical and ideological analysis of the “curriculum struggles” associated with these policies reveals a clear move towards the local/national at the expense of the global. It also identifies a rhetorical commitment to decolonisation and youth wellbeing, spuriously dissociated from the processes of globalisation and capitalism. The article concludes with a reflection on the implications of progressive nationalism for critical global citizenship education.

Abstract Technological advancements, environmental commitments and demographic shifts are rapidly reshaping Europe’s labour markets, and thus the skills needed to succeed within them. These changes are driving growth in some industries while leading to contractions in others. Adult learning, both in formal and non-formal contexts, provides pathways for reskilling and upskilling, which are critical for adapting to these shifts. Recognising the importance of education and training, the European Union (EU) set a target that, by 2025, at least 47 per cent of adults aged 24–64 should have participated in some form of learning, education or training during the last 12 months. Using data from the EU Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS), which ran from 2013 to 2022, this article explores progress towards that target, specifically examining the relationship between personal and work-related factors and participation in different forms of learning. The results show that participation in adult education and training has grown significantly, particularly in job-related, non-formal training. Across countries and over time, women participate at higher rates than men in all forms of learning. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, including gender, training rates were found to be highest in highly skilled occupations and lowest in low-skilled occupations. Additionally, individuals in industries with significant skills mismatches are more likely to participate in learning. The analysis indicates progress in addressing skills shortages but raises doubts about whether EU countries have met the 2025 target. These findings underscore the need for targeted policies to address participation in learning, education and training and to support the upskilling and reskilling necessary for the evolving European labour market.

Abstract On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the International Review of Education ( IRE ), this article reflects on the history of humanistic and hermeneutic thinking in international and comparative education as expressed in the activities and publications of the UNESCO Institute for Education (UIE) and its journal. The article first traces the influences of a range of educational thinkers from different but overlapping philosophical traditions who engaged with the institute and the IRE in the post-World War II period. It then focuses on a particular line of work, lifelong learning and literacy, which was inspired by the German comparative educationist Gottfried Hausmann and also, to some extent, the Brazilian educator and philosopher Paulo Freire. The final section relates the humanistic philosophy of education to contemporary standardised and outcome-based discourses of education. It also reflects on the contemporary use of ideas with a humanistic connotation, such as social and emotional learning and mindfulness, which have reappeared in the 21st century in a truncated and marketised form.

Abstract The study presented here analysed practices of non-formal adult education for sustainable development (AESD) in Slovenia. It employed mixed methods and an explanatory sequential research design. The study also examined and compared the instrumental and emancipatory approaches to education for sustainable development: the former focuses primarily on changes in individuals’ behaviours, while the latter concentrates on changes in their ways of thinking. The results show that in the practice of non-formal AESD in Slovenia, the two approaches are intertwined, with a moderate prevalence of the instrumental one. The instrumental AESD practices identified by this study mostly involve producing environmentally friendly products, reducing waste, promoting sustainable food and fashion, improving fire safety, and supporting employment. The emancipatory AESD practices were mainly identified in connection with global issues and their local implications, the social causes of environmental crises, connections between individual and societal transformations, critical reflections on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and fostering active citizenship and collective action. The two approaches were also found to influence teaching methods. Teaching practices associated with the instrumental approach typically focus on developing specific skills or achieving individual change, while those associated with the emancipatory approach tend to be participatory and tailored to each group of learners. Slovenian non-formal AESD tends to be learner-centred, with learning topics personalised to the needs and interests of learners. The most common topics are the natural environment and the human relationship to it, sustainable lifestyles, the SDGs, and climate change. The article concludes with recommendations for the policy and practice of non-formal AESD in Slovenia.

Youth unemployment has become one of the most popular educational research areas, at global, national and local levels. In the international development agenda, lifelong learning (LLL) and vocational education and training (VET) have been linked to youth employment and labour market policies, making education a potential universal solution to socioeconomic challenges. The European Youth Guarantee (YG) scheme, a labour market policy aimed at tackling youth unemployment, is an example of this trend in policy discourse. It offers insights into the European LLL agenda and heated debates over youth employment policies. This article critically analyses the role of liberal capitalist and human capital theories in shaping the YG scheme, formally launched in 2014, and to what extent it addresses issues of youth unemployment, by conducting a systematic review of academic literature, policy documents and official reports in the field. The article also focuses on ideology and power asymmetries between development agendas and various actors in YG policy formation, followed by an analysis of youth unemployment solutions which stem from them. An alternative values-based human capabilities approach is highlighted which could support the YG in achieving social well-being and comprehensive human development to tackle youth unemployment across Europe. Keywords Lifelong learning • European Youth Guarantee • VET • Youth unemployment • Human capital theory • Capabilities approach Le système de garantie européenne pour la jeunesse : une solution viable au chômage des jeunes ? -Le chômage des jeunes est devenu l'un des domaines de recherche en éducation les plus populaires sur le plan mondial, national et local. Dans l'agenda du développement international, l'apprentissage tout au long de la vie (ATLV) ainsi que l'enseignement et la formation professionnels (EFP) ont été associés à l'emploi des * Shakhnoza Shamsuddinova