The Concept of Lifelong Learning

The lifelong learning concept has changed over the past years by different scholars such as Jacque Delors and international organisations such as OECD, World Bank and European Commission It is a concept that many countries try import into their educational policies to better their economies.

The purpose of this essay is to use literature review to analyse the 20th century term lifelong learning prefiguring the ideas in the 21st century learning and the discourse of lifelong learning and knowledge economy.

The structure of this essay is to define lifelong learning, briefly describe its history, international organisations perspective of lifelong learning and briefly identify the characteristics of lifelong learning. Furthermore the lifelong learning concept in the 20th and 21st century will be analysed in this essay.

There has not been a formal definition of the lifelong learning concept. This is due to the concept being used by many other areas of education such as adult education, further training and any other related terms to learning outside the formal education system as stated by Aspin et al ‘particularly when a range of other apparently similar terms – education permanente, ‘further education’, ‘continuing education’, and so on – were often used interchangeably with it and with each other (Aspin et al 2007, p.19).

The general definition of the lifelong learning given by the Davis as ‘continuously supportive process which stimulates and empowers individuals to acquire all the knowledge, values, skills and understanding they will require throughout their lifetimes and to apply them with confidence, creativity and enjoyment in all roles, circumstances, and environments.’(Davies 1993, p.125).

Rojvithee furthe...

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...l Journal of Lifelong Education, Volume. 18, Issue 5, pp. 329- 342

Houghton et al, 2000, 013951 Learning and Change Reader, University of Technology Sydney, 2010.

Kearns et al. 1999. ‘VET in the learning age: The challenge of lifelong learning for all’ National Centre for Vocational Education Research, Canberra, Australia.

Medel-Añonuevo et al 2001, Revisiting Lifelong Learning for the 21st Century, UNESCO, Paris France.

Rojvithee A, 2005, Introduction Definition of Lifelong Learning, OECD

Rudd & Smith, 2007, 013951 Learning and Change Reader, University of Technology Sydney, 2010.

Watson, L., 2003, Lifelong Learning in Australia, Canberra, Department of Education, Science and Training , University of Canberra.

Linden et al 2003, Lifelong Learning in the Global Knowledge Economy: Challenges for Developing Countries, World Bank, Washington D.C