Scrutinising “crises” and “emergencies” in UNESCO’s Global Reports on Adult Learning and Education

Abstract Education is a human right but one that remains elusive for displaced people and refugees affected by crises and emergencies. Against the background of global commitments to education, lifelong learning policies are essential to ensure self-sufficiency and autonomy for displaced people. While the field of Education in Emergencies (EiE) has successfully drawn attention to the educational needs of displaced people, lifelong learning receives comparatively little funding and policy attention. The aim of this study is to contribute to the field of lifelong learning and EiE by critically identifying, scrutinising and rethinking how the concepts of “crisis” and “emergency” are produced in the context of adult learning and education (ALE). By analysing the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s series of Global Reports on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE) and drawing on the “What’s the ‘problem’ represented to be” (WPR) approach pioneered by Carol Bacchi, this study examines representations of crisis and emergencies in ALE and the ways in which they contribute to the reproduction of dominant hierarchies and power structures. The analysis highlights the need to rethink the concept of ALE in emergencies and to critically challenge dominant discourses and promote a more equitable and inclusive approach. This article highlights the tensions between how different forms of crisis and emergency are represented and calls for alternative theoretical and epistemological thinking on education in contexts of conflict and displacement.