Perspectives on Lifelong Learning and Some Practices Carolyn Medel-Anonuevo

Lifelong learning is....

• a common sense understanding that we learn throughout life from cradle to grave

• this thinking is found in all societies, in all cultures, in all religions

• also a policy discourse

LLL as a policy discourse

• 1972 Faure Report • 1980s OECD Permanent education • 1990s Turn from LL Education to LLL• 1996 European Union’s Year of Learning• 1996 Delors Report• 2000 EU Memorandum of Lifelong learning

LLL as an overarching guiding and organising principle for educational reform and action for all countries

Faure Report (1972):

• Lifelong education as the “master concept for educational policies”

• “… the lifelong concept covers all aspects of education, embracing everything in it; … lifelong education is not an educational system but the principle in which the over-all organization of a system is founded.”

Foundations of Lifelong Education” by R.H. Dave (1976):

• “… formal, non-formal and informal patterns of learning throughout the life cycle of an individual for the conscious and continuous enhancement of the quality of life, his own and that of society.”

• “… it is often difficult to conceptualize lifelong education in its entirety on account of its comprehensiveness and multiple modalities.”

Delors Report (1996):

• “… rethink and update the concept of lifelong learning so as to reconcile three forces: competition, which provides incentives; cooperation, which gives strength; and solidarity, which unites …”

• “… for adapting to the evolving requirements of the labor market and for better mastery of the changes......

• “… it must also constitute a continuous process of forming whole beings - their knowledge and aptitudes, as well as the critical faculty and ability to act.”

DELORS 1996

Learning to be

Learning to do

Learning to know

Learning to live together

o

“Lifelong Learning is critical for our survival in the 21st century”

The value of the idea of LLL

• lies in the fact that the knowledge learned at school constitutes only a small part of what a person needs, while the major part is to be acquired through practice and constant learning activities

• LLL encompasses a flexible learning continuum that ranges from formal to non-formal and informal learning

Context : State of Education

• Almost 800 million are considered illiterate, majority are women

• Around 80 million children have no access to schools

• Irrelevance of schools, less budget• Young and old are needing new skills and

knowledge (eg cope with HIV)• Many are vulnerable and excluded

• ICT Context

• GLOBAL CONTEXT

–Rapid change in technology-> need to update skills and knowledge

–Different kinds of skills needed across the ICTs-->information explosion->how to deal with information

–Brings people and cultures together ->> how to live together

–Knowledge based economies Knowledge Society competition

Lisbon Strategy for LLL (2000)• Basic skills for every european citizen• Investing time and money in learning• Innovative pedagogy• Valuing learning• Information, guidance and counselling• Bringing together learners and learning

opportunities

Lisbon Strategy for LLL• Developing coordinated and integrated

responses to prevent early school leaving• Learning opportunities for functionally illiterate• Increasing access to LLL for all marginalized

persons• Increasing focus on ECE and flexible support in

all formal education and training

Building foundations to learn Building foundations to learn throughout lifethroughout life

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LITERACY SERVICES

• EXAMPLE OF CHINA

• To reform school education with the principle of LLL

• Accompanying the expansion of school education, it will carry out curriculum and pedagogical reform guided by the principle of LLL

• It will also make education system more open and flexible to meet the diversified needs of learners

How to respond to educational demands of population

• 769 million workers• 20 million rural migrants• 10 million newly added or laid off workers• 144 elderly population

• The education they need is different from school education in terms of learning contents, delivering methods and time arrangement.

Diversified continuing education and training providers

School Education

Education at workplace

Regular/VTEDistance Education

Pre/in/trans service training

LibraryMuseumScience Expo/museumMass media

Communityeducation

Education in community

Internet and E-learning

Context of ThailandHigh literacy rate, near universal primary education,

over 80 % secondary enrolment and 40% continue to higher education.

Massive adult population with 9 years of educationLiterate but not functional to cope with new changes.Urgent needs to balance between rich heritage roots and 21 century skills

Facilitating Lifelong LearningFacilitating Lifelong Learning

Upgrading child-rearing practices and learning environments within the homes.Enhancing indigenous learning networksSupporting research and knowledge management systemActivating commercial delivery network and contribution to lifelong learning.Mobilizing other development agencies and new players

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

Institutionalized as education AND development goals.

Synergy between formal, non-formal and informal education,

Crucial roles of government with increasing mobilization, participation and decentralization.

Think big, begin small, gradually go to scale.

Korea's Legal Framework of LLLKorea's Legal Framework of LLL

< Constitution : Article 31 >

“The state should promote lifelong education”

Basic Law on Education

Elementary & Secondary

Education Act

Higher EducationAct

Lifelong Education Act

“Lifelong Education” All Organizational Educational Activities

except formal School Education

Legal Framework of LLL in Legal Framework of LLL in KoreaKorea

Framework Act on Human ResourcesDevelopment

Lifelong Education Act

Vocational Training Promotion Act

Act on the Establish-ment of Private Teaching Institutes

Framework Act on Women’s Development

Culture&Arts EducationPromotion Act

Strategies of South Korea• Support specialized programs considering

regional characters and conditions

• Establish a learning network ; local school, industry, and lifelong education orgs.

• Develop strategies to encourage more people to participate, develop local programs with professional expertise

• Strengthen performance management improving quality of LLCities

LL Cities Practice (3) Promoting “Learning Region / Learning City”

Municipality which is appointed and supported by MoE & HRD for more effective LLL services & more investment in LLL activities

Individual’s GrowthRegional Revitalization

IncreasingResidents’ LLL Activity

IncreasingResidents’ LLL Activity Municip

al

Local Educational Authority

libraryschool

Training ins. Culture Center

corporate, NGO

lifelong learning Region

Cambodia' s education system

1- Literacy 2- Post-literacy3- Equivalency Prgr.4- Income generating prgr.5- Quality of life Improvement6- Re-entry

Pre schoolPrimary 6 yearsLower Sec.3 yearsUpper Sec. 3yearsHigher edu.4-7 yrs

Formal Edu. Non-Formal Edu. (NFE)

Informal Edu. (self-learning)

Global Challenges: Concept• “Discourse Divide” • Diversity and Unevenness of the Understanding of

Lifelong Learning

• “Lifelong Learning for what?” – training and retraining for employment – learning to cope with new technologies – lifelong learning for social cohesion, democracy – new life skills for addressing HIV - Not just Learning

Skills for Earning but also Values”

Global Challenges: Implementation

• how to relate/embed/intgrate LLL to existing educational practices – e.g. EFA

• sector-wide approach enables us to look at learning in new ways and caters for LLL, validating all the sub-systems

• MDGS and lifelong learning