Lifelong Learning in Europe: Policy & Social Cohesion

1. Lifelong Learning in Europe: Policy & Social Cohesion John Holford, Laura C Engel & Helena L Wilson School of Education Staff Conference 2008

2. Includ-ED • “Strategies for inclusion and social cohesion in Europe from education” • FP6 project: 2006-11 • Spain (Co-ordinator), Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Lithuania, Malta, Latvia, Romania, Slovenia, United Kingdom • Six “projects” • Nottingham involved in Projects 1, 2, 5, 6

3. Includ-ED Aims • What characteristics of school systems and educational reforms generate low (or high) rates of educational and social exclusion? • What components of educational practices decrease (or increase) rates of school failure? • How does educational exclusion affect areas of society such as employment, housing, health, political participation, and what can be done about this? • How does educational exclusion affect vulnerable groups in society (women, youth, migrants, cultural groups, people with disabilities), and what kinds of provision can help overcome this? • Which mixed interventions (educational/social) help overcome social exclusion and build social cohesion? • In what ways are community approaches helping reduce inequalities and marginalisation, and foster social inclusion and empowerment? • To improve educational policies - for policy makers, managers, teachers, students, families, and Lisbon process

4. Includ-ED Projects • European educational systems: connecting theories, reforms, and outcomes • Effective European educational practices: How is education contributing to overcoming or reproducing social exclusion? (Commences July 2008) • Social and educational exclusion and inclusion: Social structure in a European knowledge based society • How social and educational exclusion intersects in vulnerable groups’ experiences & the role of education • Connecting educational policies to other areas of social policy • Nottingham lead (commences 2010) • Local projects for social cohesion (1 case/year)

5. Includ-ED Reports • Nottingham team reports: • P2: Effective European Education Policy: 3 case study reports (Secondary school, Vocational Training programme, Special Education programme) • P6: Local Projects for Social Cohesion: 2 case study reports (Primary school) • All reports: included@nottingham.ac.uk • Includ-ED project team reports • All country and comparative reports: http://www.ub.es/includ-ed/

6. LLL2010 • “Towards a Lifelong Learning Society in Europe: The Contribution of the Education System” • FP6 project: 2005-2010 • Estonia (Co-ordinator), Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, England, Flanders, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Norway, Russia, Scotland, Slovenia • Five “sub-projects” • Nottingham involved in all of these

7. LLL2010: Aims • Achieving a better understanding of the tensions between a knowledge-based society, lifelong learning and social inclusion in the context of EU enlargement and globalisation; • Analysing the role education systems play in the enhancement of lifelong learning – and in particular, the role institutions play in this at ‘micro, meso and macro levels’; • Providing an analysis, based on evidence, of the adequacy of lifelong learning policies for different social groups (especially the socially excluded); • Developing policy proposals, relevant both to the EU and to national governments, as to how lifelong learning strategies can play a role in decreasing social exclusion – and what implications this has for other areas of social and economic policy; • Strengthening the international and multi-disciplinary research infrastructure in relation to lifelong learning; and • Developing transnational data sources.

8. LLL2010 Sub-projects • Review of literature and policy documents • Co-ordinated by JH • Participation & non-participation of adults in formal learning (basic, secondary, vocational, universities) • based on Eurostat Adult Education Survey (2006-2007) (or EU-LFS ad hoc module on lifelong learning) • Survey of adults studying in formal education system (basic, secondary, tertiary) • Nottingham’s work subcontracted to NIACE • SMEs & participation of workers in formal learning • interviews (Commences July 2008) • Vocational, secondary, university management, officials & other stakeholders in adult education • interviews

9. LLL2010 Reports & Outputs • SP1: Review of literature and policy documents: • All country and project team reports: http://lll2010.tlu.ee/ • Patterns of Lifelong Learning: Policy & Practice in an Expanding Europe by J. Holford, S. Riddell, E. Weedon, J. Litjens, & G. Hannan (Vienna: Lit Verlag, in press) • SP4: SMEs & participation of workers in formal learning (commences July 2008)

10. Now for a taste of the product ... • Arising from LLL2010, Sub-project 1 • “Work and Citizenship in EU Lifelong Learning Policy: Globalisation or Path Dependency” • Or some such title ...

11. EU lifelong learning policy • Lifelong learning re-emerged in 1990s: • strongly economistic (“HRD in drag” - Boshier) • EU now a major international policy-maker • shares economistic approach • Dominant explanation: • globalisation, neo-liberalism • e.g., Growth, Competitiveness, Employment seen as key – not Teaching and Learning: Towards a Learning Society (Brine, Field)

12. The Argument • This oversimplifies complexity of EU position • EU’s economism originates in 1950s • European Common Market • driven by founding treaties, core institutions • path dependency, rather than globalisation • Provides space for pursuit of wider goals: • equity, citizenship, European identity • subsidiary, but important • cf. ‘European educational space’: ‘new cultural space’; ‘new European meanings in education are constructed’ (Lawn)

13. Rome to Maastricht • education ‘taboo’ in EU until early 1970s • ’70s, ’80s: creative conflation of educ’n as universal value with econ. needs of market • e.g., 1974 education ministers’ declaration: ‘co-operation’ in key sectors, but preserve ‘originality of educational traditions and policies in each country’ • 1980s: incremental expansion • ECJ decisions; bureaucratic growth (DG) • Focus on better school curricula, European content • Little on lifelong ed. (only school-to-work transitions, adult literacy)

14. Maastricht: New Competence • Maastricht Treaty (1992 ) gave EU ‘competence’ to: • contribute ‘to education and training of quality and to the flowering of the cultures of the Member States’ • subsidiarity remained, but specific activities ‘European dimension’ defined, esp.: • language teaching; student and teacher mobility; recognition of qualifications; exchanges of youth and ‘socio- educational instructors’; distance education • lifelong learning still limited, and economic: vocational training and retraining – better access, better integration with labour market, firms, etc.

15. Importance of Lifelong Learning • 1990s LLL – strongly economistic • but this provided space in EU for non-economic LLL: • closer to EU mainstream concerns (“common market”) • intervention in member states had to be justified in terms of founding treaties • Growth, Competitiveness, Employment • globalisation; ICT; Asian, US competition • saw LLL, continuing training, essential • Teaching & Learning: Towards a Learning Society • rationale for LLL within this framework • programmes with trans-EU dimensions • LLL as organising policy theme

16. Lisbon Strategy - from 2000 • Aim: ‘most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world ... with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion’ by 2010 • education and training systems to adapt to ‘the demands of the knowledge society and to the need for an improved level and quality of employment’ • Open Method of Co-ordination’ • timetables, goals, indicators, benchmarks • monitoring, evaluation and peer review • Increase in volume, detail, specificity of policy-formulation in LLL

17. The argument restated • Central features of EU LLL policy in step with international trends since early 1990s • For EU, this can be traced back to founding market orientation • path dependency rather than ‘globalisation’ • EU LLL had maintained concern with social inclusion, citizenship, social cohesion • given limited legal competence in Education, often framed in language compatible with market • Related to bureaucratic development: role of DG

18. A Crisis of Lisbon? By 2005, progress lagging on Lisbon goals • Robertson: Kok report, etc., represents ‘new crisis discourse’ and led to shift towards ‘globally-oriented “education” policies’ A shift from citizenship/inclusion to globalisation/ markets? • Efficiency and Equity (2006) Courses for ‘unemployed and those who have not succeeded’ in compulsory education ‘important’ in ‘equity terms’. • Adult Learning: It is never too late to learn (2006) Adult learning relevant to competitiveness, demographic change, and social inclusion. • Key Competences for Lifelong Learning: European Reference Framework (2007)- ‘reference tool for policy-makers’ • specifies knowledge, skills, attitudes across eight areas, including social and civic competences and cultural awareness and expression • References to ‘knowledge economy’ & ‘knowledge society’: • Efficiency and Equity: KS: 2; ‘knowledge based economy & society’: 1. • Adult Learning: 0. • Key Competences KS: 2; KE: 0; ‘knowledge-based society’ 1.

19. Conclusion: Efficiency or Equity? • EU education policy mainly vocational, market-oriented • reflects founding treaties – ‘path dependency not globalisation’ • Social inclusion, citizenship, social cohesion have become important (if subsidiary) themes • Since early 1990s, EU LLL policy has parallelled concern to build European identity • Economic competitiveness orientation of international LLL provided space for EU LLL policies/programmes emphasising citizenship and social cohesion • Recognise EU’s maintenance of space for wider social concerns