Lifelong learning : a step towards knowledgebased societies

1
Lifelong learning a step towards
knowledge-based societies ?

• David AtchoarenaIIEP/UNESCOCaribbean Forum for
  lifelong learning
  
• Saint Lucia, May 16-17, 2006

2
Policy convergence/diversity of national contexts

• Economic systems the growing role of knowledge
  in modern economies
  
• An increasing number of countries refer to LLL as
  a key element of their education policy agenda
  
• Achieving EFA goals
• Dualistic nature of labour markets (persistence
  of the informal sector)
  
• Demography
• Ageing societies (OECD countries)
• Continued demographic pressure (Africa)
• International migration (worldwide)

3
Policy implications for education

• Increase the level of education of the
  population
  
• Adjust the content of learning to provide the new
  skills required by the knowledge economy
  
• Promote lifelong learning to ensure lifelong
  employability and social cohesion (a culture of
  learning, new patterns of provision)

4
Lifelong learning as a global agenda

• Top policy issue on international and national
  educational reform agenda for the past decade
  
• UNESCO Delors report (1996)
• OECD Lifelong learning for all (1996)
• Several activities by EC, ILO, OECD, UNESCO,
  World Bank
  

5
The six EFA Goals

• Improving early childhood education
• Universal primary education
• Ensuring that the learning needs of all young
  people and adults are met through equitable
  access to appropriate learning and life skills
  programmes
• Increasing adult literacy
• Eliminating gender disparity
• Improving quality of education

6
Intense policy debate and actual implementation

• Beyond the rhetoric, governments are taking-up
  LLL as a key strategy for reforming education
  systems, for meeting the economic, labour market
  and social challenges of globalisation
• Concrete measures are taken to open lifelong
  learning pathways, to open qualification to all
  (focus on financing schemes and learning
  outcomes)

7
 
Non-formal settings
Formal settings
8
Consensus on broad principles but contrasted
meanings

• LLL a holistic concept (lifelong/life wide),
  Japan, Norway
  
• Focus on vocational skills and employability,
  Australia, England, France, Malaysia, Thailand,
  Sweden
  
• Focus on non-formal and adult education, Korea,
  China
  

9
Various objectives

• Fostering, adapting to the K economy (Australia,
  China, Malaysia, Thailand)
  
• Establishing a lifelong learning society (Japan,
  Norway, Sweden, France)
  
• Reduce the emphasis on academic pathways and
  credentials (Korea, Japan)
  

10
Regional context

• EU integration convergence of educational
  systems, establishment of a European labour
  market, forging a new (and specific) social model
  for Europe
• OECS/CARICOM contribution to the integration
  process, facilitating the economic transition,
  adjusting education and training systems to
  globalization ?

11
From EFA to success for all ?

• Increasing participation at secondary and
  post-secondary levels
  
• Increasing concern for drop-outs
• How to define and assess key competences?
• Increasing concern for transparency of learning
  achievements and competences
  
• For employers
• For training providers
• For individuals (access to lifelong learning)

12
Shift in the policy agenda

• From financing to qualifications and competences
• From resources to incentives

13
Monitoring the quality and relevance of education

• Do education and training systems generate the
  required competencies?
  
• Are individuals equipped with knowledge and
  skills needed to cope with the challenges in
  life?
  
• Growing interest in learning and education
  outcomes
  

14
Three broad categories of key competencies(OECD,
DESECO project)

• interacting in socially heterogeneous groups
• acting autonomously
• using tools interactively

15
Increasing use of qualification frameworks

• Overarching frameworks covering the learning
  outcomes of school, training and higher education
  and showing how qualifications relate to one
  another
• Separating training from assessment and
  certification
  
• Promoting LLL
• Contributing to the establishment of a market for
  training
  
• Redesign the training system (catalyst for wider
  system change)
  
• Increasing number of national experiences, yet
  independent impact evaluation are still lacking
  
• From national to international qualifications
  frameworks

16
Recognition of prior learning

• Recognition of non formal and informal learning
  seen as one of the most important issues for
  achieving LLL for all
  
• Valuing all types of learning outcomes
• Allowing portability between formal, non-formal
  and informal sectors
  
• Conceptual debate recognition of prior learning
  as an extension of human rights ?
  
• Intense policy activity at the national level in
  OECD countries
  
• New initiatives at the international level (OECD,
  UNESCO Institute for Education)

17
Some critical dilemmas

• Should priority continued to be given to initial
  education as a preparation for a lifelong
  learning?
  
• How lifelong learning for disadvantaged groups
  shall be organised?
  
• Can the risk of being excluded from LLL be
  covered in new forms of social protection?
  
• What should be the balance between collective
  responsibility and individual responsibility?