Discussing the shift from lifelong education to lifelong learning: intentional governmental organisation's contribution

This course introduces students to a theoretical discussion upon a shift from lifelong education, a concept first used by the Council of Europe in the late 1950’s and its spread in the late 1960’s by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to lifelong learning in policy discourses of international organisations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union especially since the 1990’s. Changes in the use of these expressions in policy discourses point at differences in aims concealed to policies imple-mented by the international organisations. Owing to the influence these organisations have in national public policies of adult learning and education, this shift has had a significant influence in the aims of State education and learning programs developed in several countries. Among these changes, the increasing valuing of lifelong learning as an economic development tool and a human resources man-agement strategy is highlighted, namely in countries belonging to the European Union. At the same time it can be noted a progressive absence of meanings referring to democratic and emancipatory adult learning and education policies in these countries and in supranational policy documents.
During the course, students will learn how to critically analyse latest policy documents of the European Union and other international organisations such as the UNESCO and the OECD on adult learning and education as well as national and regional policy documents.
The course contents will also provide students with a theoretical understanding of the shift from life-long education to lifelong learning and the implications of this shift in the role of the State and the aims of public policies for adult learning and education.
Finally, the first part of the course introduces students to expressions/concepts used to identify adult learning and education throughout life in a wide range of contexts. The second part discusses the role of specific international governmental organisations in the spread of such expressions/concepts (such as lifelong education and lifelong learning). The third part focuses on the content analysis of some policy documents and the meanings given to lifelong education and lifelong learning in what refers to the role of the State and the aims of public policies for adult learning and education.

Das Seminar findet wöchentlich statt.
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