Evolving Discourses and Practices of Lifelong Learning: Some issues and challenges Carolyn Medel-Anonuevo

Evolving Discourses and Practices of Lifelong Learning: Some issues and challenges Carolyn Medel-Anonuevo

Outline • Discourses on LLL • 2. Context in the 21st century • 3. Operationalization of LLL • 4. Key Issues • 5. Some challenges • 6. UIL work

1. Discourses on LLL • As a common sense principle of learning throughout life • Rooted in tradition/culture • As a political discourse • As an economic discourse • As an educational discourse

1. Discourses on LLL b. Rooted in tradition/culture „Mogo te koro kalan ma Mogo te kodon kalan ma Don o don tulo be taa kalanso“

1. Discourses on LLL c. As a political discourse Nyerere- learning about anything that helps us to understand the environment we live in.... (1969) Ho Chi Minh- we have to learn and work throughout life...

1. Discourses on LLL c. As a political discourse South Africa- all individuals should have access to lifelong education and training irrespective of race,class,gender, creed or age (African National Congress-1994)

1. Discourses on LLL d. As an economic discourse-

1. Discourses on LLL e. As an educational discourse Evolving discourse from the 70s to present

e. Educational Discourses Faure Report (1972): Lifelong education as the “master concept for educational policies .. the lifelong concept covers all aspects of education, embracing everything in it; with the whole being more than the sum of its parts … lifelong education is not an educational system but the principle in which the over-all organization of a system is founded.” “… it is often difficult to conceptualize lifelong education in its entirety on account of its comprehensiveness and multiple modalities.”

e. Educational Discourses 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.”

e. Educational Discourses OECD (1973)- Recurrent education: a strategy for LLL focused on how learning could respond to the demands of the market

e. Educational Discourses Learning to be , Learning to do Learning to know, Learning to live together “Lifelong Learning is critical for our survival in the 21st century”

2. Education Context >774 million are considered illiterate, majority are women >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, conflicts) >Many are vulnerable and excluded

2. Context of globalization • *Rapid change in technology-> need to update skills and knowledge • *Different kinds of skills needed across the globe • *ICTs-->information explosion->how to deal with information • *Brings people and cultures together ->> how to live together • * Knowledge based economies Knowledge Society competition

3. Operationalization a. As policy (national and regional) b. As bridging the formal and non-formal education c. As providing learning opportunities for all

3. Operationalization a. As national policy: *Japan- fundamental law for LLL 1989 *Korea- LLL law in 1999 *Thailand- National education Act 1999 * Setting up of structures: Namibia- Ministry of Lifelong Learning and Culture

3. Operationalization • a. As regional policy: • EU Lisbon Strategy: Making the European Union the most competitive knowledge society by 2010- lifelong learning is the key to the attainment of this goal (Regional strategy with open coordination among the member states) • Southern African Development Community (SADC) Technical Committee on Lifelong Education and Training

3. Operationalization • b. As bridging formal and non-formal: • *National Qualifications Framework- • Southern Africa • *South Korea´s CREDIT BANK system • *Philippines Non-formal Education Accreditation and Equivalency System • *West Africa´s pasarelle

3. Operationalization • c. As providing learning opportunities for all: • *Ensuring access of all those previously marginalized • *Empowerment of women • * Community learning centers and other public spaces as venues for democratizing opportunities

4. Key Issues • Conceptual issue • Policy divide • Purpose of LLL • Coherence of LLL policy • Appropriate structure • Allocation of resources

a. Conceptual Issue Lifelong Education Developing more humane individuals and communities to adjust to rapid change Focus on institutions and structures Lifelong Learning Retraining and learning new skills to enable individuals to cope and adjust with the fast changing workplace Agency to individuals

b. Policy Divide Issue LLL for the North EFA for the South

c. Purpose of LLL • Nineties discourses- continuation of tensions between more holistic and more economistic • Information -Knowledge society • Individual Competencies, competition • LLL for citizenship, for peace, for social inclusion, for HIV prevention • Out of school, adults and second

5. Challenges Uneveness of understanding of discourse Many different systems of education ? Clarifying and Integrating LLL discourses Economistic vs. humane and transformatory Fragmented way of looking at educational discourses Discourse divide

5. Challenge of Policy

5. Harmonisation • Integrated approach (poverty alleviation) • Gender approach • Partnerships • Creating environments

5. Challenges How does one build foundation skills for LLL? What are such foundational skills and are they context related? ? What happens to those who have had no foundational skills? Are foundational skills going to be different in another context?

5. Challenges Learning taking place at individual level –largely an individual project ? Promise of humane societies and transformation

MDGs LLL Young andAdults Life Skills Primary ECCE LITERACY LWL NEPAD 5. Challenges

5. Challenges Valuing agency of individuals as well as transforming societies • Learning democracy and citizenship • Learning gender equality • Learning to live with other cultures . Unlearning stigmatizing and discriminatory practices . Unlearning attitudes and behavior towards violence

6.UNESCO and UIL • Education as a basic right • EFA, MDGs, UNLD, UNDESD • 4 clusters (LLL, Literacy, Adult Education and Africa • CONFINTEA VI and LIFE

Evolving Discourses and Practices of Lifelong Learning: Some issues and challenges Carolyn Medel-Anonuevo